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Anita on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS — Everything You Need to Know

Anita Lawson first appeared on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS back in February of 2012 when Catherine Bach joined the cast. The character has occasionally been mentioned, but Anita hasn’t been seen on Y&R since 2019 so viewers can be forgiven for not knowing exactly who this woman is. But that’s where we come in!

Anita arrived in Genoa City looking for her daughter, Chelsea Lawson. It was later revealed that Victor Newman had brought both women to town in the hopes of splitting up Billy and Victoria. When that failed, he tried paying Anita to leave town but although she took the money, she didn’t go anywhere! Anita was hoping that Chelsea being pregnant with Billy Abbott’s child would get them a good amount of money, so she was disappointed when her daughter gave up her rights to the baby to Billy and Victoria. Chelsea and her mother never had the best relationship, and she continued trying to distance herself from Anita due to her money-hungry con artist ways.

The Young and The Restless Anita Chelsea
”You’re giving away your money — I mean, baby?”sean smith/jpistudios.com

Anita then found Jeffrey Bardwell living in town and revealed to him that not only was Chelsea his daughter, but they were still legally man and wife! He was in love with Gloria Fisher, so he paid Anita to keep quiet, but she eventually spilled the beans. Jeffrey and Anita tried to cozy up to Chelsea and her new husband, Adam Newman, but it was just because Adam was wealthy.

Chelsea confided to her mom that she was pregnant and Adam was the father, but Anita was disappointed that she’d left Adam to be with Dylan McAvoy, who wasn’t rich. Still, she agreed that he was a good guy and helped keep her daughter’s secret that Dylan was not Connor’s father. But when she later encountered the wealthy Gabriel Bingham, who was smitten with Chelsea, Anita urged her daughter to pursue him. And when it was revealed that Gabriel was really Adam back from the dead, that made her even more intent that Chelsea get back together with him.

The Young and The Restless Nick Anita
“What’s it worth to ya?”Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

Anita reappeared after Chelsea skipped town with Connor to tell Nick Newman that Chelsea had been sending her money but had stopped. When he refused to give her a handout, Anita offered him a video file that Chelsea had recorded for their son, Christian, for $25,000. She insisted it could be the only way he’d learn why Chelsea really skipped town.

In the summer of 2019, Chelsea returned to Genoa City and revealed that she had left her son, Connor, in the care of her mother. And after a while, she missed her son so much she asked her mother to bring him to her. When Chelsea offered to share the inheritance she’d received from her late husband, Calvin Boudreau, she was immediately suspicious when Anita turned it down. And when Anita finally confessed that she’d already helped herself to millions from his estate, Chelsea threw her out and Anita returned to Louisiana.

However, when Chelsea learned in July 2021 that her mother had suffered a fall and broken her hip, she was eager to go stay with her to help her recuperate. That might have had something to do with Chelsea wanting out of the mental hospital, but still! After Chelsea returned to Genoa City, she would occasionally mention her mother. And in August 2023, she was stunned when Anita called to let her know that Connor had asked if he could come and live with her!

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