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THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS

What Happened To Chelsea on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS

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Chelsea on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS has led quite a life so some viewers might not be familiar with the character’s entire dramatic history — which is where we come in! Initially introduced as a scheming con artist when Melissa Claire Egan first joined the soap back in November of 2011, Chelsea eventually softened and enjoyed a relatively normal life (at least by Genoa City standards!). But then she reverted back to her old ways and skipped town in February of 2018! Still, Egan said at the time that it was only “goodbye for now,” and that turned out to be very true as she returned in June of 2019 to stir up even more drama! The actress only left the canvas for a while in the fall of 2021 when she took maternity leave to welcome her first child and then did the same again for a brief time in 2023 for her second.

Chelsea Lawson showed up in Genoa City to inform Billy Abbott that she was pregnant with his baby after they’d slept together in Myanmar. After a DNA test proved the baby was Billy’s, he and Victoria allowed Chelsea to move in with them. When her mother, Anita Lawson, arrived, Chelsea wanted nothing to do with her because she was a con artist. Billy and Victoria also learned that Victor Newman was behind bringing both Chelsea and Anita to town in the hopes of splitting them up.

The Young and The Restless Chelsea Billy
Chelsea prayed that Billy and Victoria would raise her baby.Paul Skipper/jpistudios.com

Realizing she had no place in her life for a baby, Chelsea agreed to give up her parental rights to Billy and Victoria. During her pregnancy, she became close with Adam Newman as they bonded over being judged for their past mistakes. After fighting with Victoria about her relationship with Adam, Chelsea ran off and Adam found her nearly drowned in a frozen lake and helped her deliver her son, Johnny, in a cabin. Adam continued to support Chelsea as she turned down Victor’s money to leave town, got a job as a bartender, and studied for her GED.

Adam proposed and the two were married at his childhood home in Kansas. She got pregnant, but lost the baby in a car accident caused by Summer Newman. Grieving her child, Chelsea was further angered to learn that Adam was helping Sharon and later caught them kissing. Adam agreed they could move to Paris, but when he was unable to abandon his work at Newman, Chelsea demanded a divorce.

Working as a fashion designer with Chloe Mitchell, Chelsea wanted to tell Adam that she was pregnant with his baby, but her friend urged her not to. Since she’d had a one-night stand with Dylan McAvoy, Chelsea decided to claim he was the babydaddy. Having grown closer together, Dylan invited Chelsea to move in with him so he could be a part of his child’s life. When he proposed, Chelsea happily agreed to marry him. After they tied the knot, she went into labor and delivered her son, Connor.

The Young and The Restless Chelsea Dylan
Chelsea gave Dylan a very unique wedding gift — a baby!sean smith/jpistudios.com

But when the newborn was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, Adam quickly realized Connor was his son. Confronted by both men, Chelsea tearfully confessed the truth, and Dylan left her. When Adam invited her and Connor to live with him, she agreed, and they eventually remarried. Connor required a corneal transplant and in a tragic turn of events, he got them from Delia Abbott after she was killed in a hit and run. Even worse, Chelsea discovered that Adam had been the driver! After Adam was presumed dead when his car exploded, a vengeful Chloe attempted to kidnap Connor!

Next, Chelsea found herself growing closer to Billy, though it took her a while to let him into her heart. But soon, Adam returned to Genoa City with a new face, calling himself Gabriel Bingham. He began to ingratiate himself into Chelsea’s life despite being in a relationship with Sage. And despite being engaged to Billy, Chelsea fell into bed with Gabriel! When Billy found out, he dumped her and Chelsea began dating Gabriel, who she was stunned to discover was really Adam!

The Young and The Restless Adam Chelsea
“Oh yeah, you’re definitely Adam!”sean smith/jpistudios.com

Adam hoped to maintain the Gabriel ruse because he was a wanted man, but ultimately the truth came out. He was arrested and sentenced to prison for Delia’s death, but Adam’s heroic actions in a fire and some blackmail from Victor helped get him off with just probation and community service. Chelsea and Adam were happily reunited, and he even came clean to her that Sage’s baby was his, not Nick’s. But then Victor framed his son for the murder of Constance Bingham, and as he was planning to go on the run with Chelsea, Adam was killed in an explosion.

Nick and Chelsea became close, and she continued to keep Adam’s secret that he was really Christian’s father. Their relationship soon became romantic, and Nick and Christian soon moved in with Chelsea. She was a little taken aback when she ran into Jordan Wilde, who was a fellow con artist from the bad old days. Nick struggled with Chelsea’s past but eventually got over it. But after Nick found a quarter of a million dollars in an air vent in the condo and someone began siphoning money from Fenmore’s through a bogus website, it was revealed that Chelsea was behind it!

The Young and The Restless Chelsea
“Did everyone go before we left?”Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

Chelsea initially planned to leave town with the money and both boys, but after a change of heart, returned Christian to Nick. When Adam returned to Genoa City in the spring of 2019, it was revealed that Nick knew where Chelsea was, and also that she had remarried! Chelsea returned to Genoa City to try and put things right, and she was followed by her husband, Calvin Boudreau. Unfortunately, shortly after he arrived, Calvin died unexpectedly, leaving Chelsea a widow! Of course, that didn’t stop Adam from trying to convince her that she should come back to him!

Although choosing to reestablish her relationship with Nick, Chelsea couldn’t get Adam out of her life because Connor was desperate to be with his father. Chelsea also came into a great deal of money after Calvin’s death and she asked Kevin to help launder it for her. Unfortunately, a dangerous man named Simon Black arrived in Genoa City looking to collect the money Calvin owed him! Thankfully, he was quickly thwarted, but Connor was traumatized by being taken hostage by the villain and began acting out to bring his parents back together.

Nick stepped down for Connor’s sake and let Chelsea reunite with Adam to make a family for their son and Adam suggested leaving Genoa City to relocate to Paris. That ended up not happening, but he did propose and Chelsea happily accepted. She began working to revive her fashion line and traveled to Kansas with Adam to visit Hope’s farm as a possible wedding venue. This led them straight into a mystery where they learned Alyssa Montalvo was investigating her father’s death and Victor was the prime suspect!

Y&R Adam Chelsea
Calling their relationship a roller coaster would be an understatement!Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

Chelsea swore to help Adam get back his CEO position at Newman, and stood by him as he blackmailed Victor with knowledge of the long-ago murder in order to get it. But then Victor revealed the shocking twist that an 11-year-old Adam was A.J. Montalvo’s real killer! Chelsea was floored, but vowed to stand by her man… at least until he turned to Sharon and jealousy caused her to walk out on him!

Chelsea eventually returned to Adam’s side but when she discovered his diabolical plan for revenge and tried to talk him out of it, she found herself trapped in an elevator and then abducted! She stayed with Chloe temporarily but Chelsea eventually worked things out with Adam. Unfortunately, their plans were ruined when Chelsea’s headaches turned out to be a brain aneurysm! She finally agreed to see a doctor, but while waiting for surgery, her aneurysm burst, and Chelsea was rushed to the hospital. She survived emergency surgery, but the incident left her immobile and unable to speak.

Adam hired the best doctors and nurses to treat Chelsea, but when he suspected there were psychological reasons for her lack of progress, he hired Sharon to be her therapist! Trapped in her body, Chelsea was jealous of Adam and Sharon, and he hoped that anger would spark a recovery. It seemed to do the trick, as Chelsea regained her movement and voice, but she kept her progress a secret from everyone but Chloe as she framed Adam for poisoning Rey Rosales!

Y&R Adam Chelsea
Chelsea wasn’t as helpless as Adam thought!Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

When her scheme was exposed, Chelsea faked an emotional breakdown and was committed to a mental hospital, a deal she’d struck with Victor to avoid jail time. When she learned the doctor wanted to keep her there until she was actually well, Chelsea flipped out and tried to blackmail him! Eventually, Chelsea was released on an outpatient basis so she could go take care of her mother, Anita, who had broken her hip.

Chelsea returned in December and found herself butting heads with Sally Spectra at Newman Fashion. She tried to reconcile with Adam, but he rebuffed her and Chelsea was upset to find he was seeing Sally. As a jealous Chelsea schemed to keep Sally and Adam apart, Chloe begged her friend to break her obsession with the guy. As she and Chloe made a deal to start a new fashion platform with Lauren (without Sally), Chelsea began dreaming of Rey. Despite her poisoning him, Rey and Chelsea struck up a nice friendship, and she was heartbroken when he died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

Chelsea and Chloe continued to clash and ultimately they decided that they would no longer work together. Chelsea took Summer Newman up on her job offer to design for Marchetti, leaving her gal pal to find her own way. But then she decided to put her design career to the side to help Billy with his podcast. However, after she surprised him with a kiss, Chelsea was heartbroken when he rebuffed her advances. As her emotional state grew more fragile, Billy tried to cheer her up by inviting her and Connor to spend time with him and Johnny. However, Chelsea’s urging for Billy and Victoria to tell Johnny that she was his biological mother backfired when the boy reacted very badly to the news! Worse still, Connor was also upset when she told him and Chelsea started to spiral.

Y&R Billy Chelsea
Billy was there for Chelsea in her moment of crisis.Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

Eventually, things grew so dark that she contemplated taking her own life but thankfully, Billy intervened in time and talked her down. She agreed to check herself into a clinic to receive the treatment she needed but putting her life back together was going to be a long, difficult, road. With everyone promising to support her, Chelsea left the clinic and moved into the apartment above Crimson Lights. She also told others the truth about her mental health issues, including Connor and Chloe. When Lily Winters shared her concern about Billy’s obsession with her problems, Chelsea tried to put some distance between them. 

Chelsea made an effort to make amends to the people that she’d hurt, and continued growing closer to Billy. Looking for a new career path, she found herself contributing ideas to Daniel Romalotti’s Omega Sphere game project. Later, Chelsea accepted Summer’s offer to work as Marchetti’s new creative director. Connor continued acting out, and Chelsea was worried when her son attempted to run away from home! When Connor explained that he wanted to go to another school near where Anita lives, Chelsea reluctantly agreed to go with him to check it out.

Stay tuned to Y&R to see how Chelsea’s story continues!

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