What Happened to Adam on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS

Adam Newman on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS is a core character of a core family who has been through plenty of drama in his life, so it’s no surprise that the soap has brought him back from the dead more than once! The character was first introduced in April of 1995 when Adam was born, though, after two years, he left town with his mother to return as a full-grown adult in 2008 played by Chris Engen. After a year, Engen chose to leave Y&R, so the soap recast the role with Michael Muhney. After his departure in 2013, Adam was off the canvas for a time before Justin Hartley was brought in to take over from 2014-16. And then, Adam was brought back again with actor Mark Grossman stepping into the Newman’s shoes in May of 2019.

After Hope Adams gave birth to Adam in 1995, she divorced Victor Newman and eventually moved to Kansas where the boy grew up believing Cliff Wilson was his father. In 2008, on her death bed, Hope revealed the truth that “Vic” was really Victor’s son. Although he agreed to move to Genoa City and work at Newman Enterprises, Vic began going by the name of Adam Newman and clashed with his newly-discovered brothers and sisters. When Victor was presumed dead, Adam took over the business and fired his siblings. He also framed Jack Abbott for murder, but when Victor turned up alive, Adam wound up in jail himself. Heather Stevens, who he was dating at the time, noticed Adam’s failing eyesight and worried he could have inherited his mother’s blindness. After Adam was brutally attacked in prison, Victor had the charges dropped.

Adam continued scheming, befriending Ashley Abbott so he could gaslight her. After he caused her to fall and miscarry Victor’s baby, Adam blackmailed her doctor into telling her the child was still alive. When Rafe Torres tried to investigate, Adam seduced the attorney to distract him. Ashley was admitted to the same psychiatric hospital where a pregnant Sharon Newman was also staying, allowing Adam to steal Sharon’s baby and give it to Ashley. He then pursued a relationship with Sharon, but that naturally fell apart when the truth about the baby switch was revealed. Adam managed to get out of jail with the help of Patty Williams and was presumed dead during an explosion at a masquerade ball.

But Adam was alive and married Skye Lockhart before returning to Genoa City where he covered his tracks with Patty before wooing Sharon again. When Adam was accused of murdering Skye, Sharon tracked her down in Hawaii where the woman fell into a volcano and died for real, leaving Sharon blamed for her death! Adam helped Sharon skip town and go on the run from the law while trying to prove her innocence. Adam was later accused of murdering Diane Jenkins, as well. With his relationship with Sharon on the rocks, Adam began dating Chelsea Lawson and they tied the knot. But she wanted him out of Newman and when she found out she was pregnant, she claimed the baby was fathered by Dylan McAvoy. But Adam found out the truth and fought for custody of his son, Connor.

Adam was guilt-ridden after believing he’d struck and killed Delia Abbott with his car. He’d reconciled with Chelsea and urged her to leave for Paris with him. But Billy Abbott figured out Adam was responsible and confronted him. After a car crash, only Billy escaped alive. Although investigators found Adam’s remains, he was really alive and recovering elsewhere.

Following numerous facial reconstruction surgeries, Adam had taken over the identity of Gabriel Bingham, the man who had saved his life. He returned to Genoa City with Sage Warner, pretending to be married, to get his hands on Gabriel’s inheritance. Reconnecting with Chelsea, Adam revealed his true identity and they rekindled their relationship. But when everyone else learned he was really Adam, he had to go on trial for Delia’s death. After pleading guilty and being sentenced to 10 years, Adam was hit by a car driven by Delia’s mother, Chloe Mitchell. 

Adam had helped Sage give birth to their son, Christian, but let her continue to believe Nick was the father. However, after her death, he learned she knew the truth and was grateful to him for keeping it a secret from Nick. Adam was then accused of poisoning Constance Bingham, and when the evidence to clear his name disappeared, he wound up in prison where he lost his grip on reality and assaulted a guard. Victor helped his son escape and Adam and Chelsea planned to go on the run with Connor. But while alone at the cabin, Adam was shot with a tranquilizer gun by Chloe, who had never forgiven him for Delia’s death. When Chelsea returned with Nick, the cabin exploded and DNA evidence indicated that Adam was inside at the time.

However, two years later, Chelsea was caught embezzling money and it appeared to be for Adam. When she skipped town, she also placed a mysterious phone call that could have been to him as well. And in May of 2019, it was revealed that Victor’s mysterious trips to Las Vegas were because he’d discovered Adam gambling there with no memory of his true identity! Sharon went to Vegas to speak with Adam and convince him to come back to Genoa City with them. However, after being faced with some of his dark past, Adam decided to pack up and leave. Unfortunately, just as he was doing so, he was shot! He survived again, and as a bonus, his memories returned! (If they were ever gone in the first place… some weren’t so sure about that.) 

Adam fought for custody of Christian and tried proposing to Sharon, but neither of those worked out for him. He then teamed up with Phyllis to get his revenge on the entire Newman family for doing him wrong, and tampered with the medication that Victor was taking for his blood disease. However, when he was led to believe that Victor had died, Adam was overwhelmed with guilt and fled back to Vegas!

He resisted the attempts by various people to get him to come home until Nick asked him to return for Connor, who felt abandoned by his father. Once Adam was back in Genoa City, Connor continued manipulating his father and Chelsea, acting out and forcing his parents to reunite for his sake. Adam then proposed moving to Paris, but they ultimately chose to stay.

With the help of Alyssa Montalvo, Adam thought he had uncovered evidence that Victor had committed a murder back in Kansas and used that to blackmail his father into giving him the CEO seat at Newman but was shattered when Victor eventually revealed that it was an 11-year-old Adam who had killed A.J. Montalvo all those years ago! With no memory of the events, Adam begged Sharon for help. As she supported him while he recovered the traumatic memories, a rift grew between Adam and a jealous Chelsea.

Then Billy hired Alyssa to write an article exposing Adam’s crimes called “The Making of a Monster” and despite Adam’s best effort, it was published. Vowing revenge against Billy, Adam also tried to win Sharon back but she turned him down for Rey. Furious that Adam remained obsessed with Sharon, Chelsea walked out on him.

Adam then announced he was changing his name to Adam Wilson and leaving the Newman family forever. But he also made plenty of mysterious phone calls and Chelsea discovered he was plotting against his clan! Adam had her abducted to keep her quiet, but then changed his tune when he was shot at and Chance took the bullet for him. Although Billy was the prime suspect, it was later revealed that Alyssa had tried to take revenge for her father’s murder.

Chelsea began having headaches and Adam felt guilty when they learned she had a brain aneurysm and would require surgery. He then felt even worse when he lurked around Sharon’s wedding to Rey Rosales while Chelsea’s aneurysm ruptured and she was barely able to call 911! She survived emergency surgery but was left immobile and unable to speak. Wracked with guilt, Adam was desperate to get the best doctors to make her whole again. Unfortunately, after Chelsea saw that Adam had once again kissed Sharon, she kept her recovery a secret and actually set him up for attempted murder!

Adam was busy working with his father to help Newman Enterprises purchase Ashland Locke‘s communications company when he suddenly found himself accused of poisoning Rey! Discovering that Chelsea could not only speak but also move again, Adam went into hiding and enlisted Sharon to try and prove that Chelsea was framing him. Adam returned to Genoa City to help an ailing Faith by donating a kidney and once Chelsea faked a breakdown and confessed to framing him, Adam was a free man. But instead of running away again, he decided to stay in town and prove he could be a better man.

Adam and Connor accepted Victor’s invitation and moved into the ranch with the family, and he also reluctantly agreed to allow Chelsea to take their son with her when she went to stay with her mother for a little while. He hired Chloe to run a fashion platform for the newly-christened Newman Media, and began growing closer with Sally Spectra despite everyone’s warnings to avoid her. He invited her along to Victoria’s wedding in Italy, but kept things strictly business. Adam plotted with Victor and Ashland to set Billy up for a big fall so they could steal ChanceComm, but then Billy revealed he’d been faking his breakdown to get back at Adam! Chelsea came home and tried to repair things with Adam, but he wasn’t interested.

When Victor named Victoria CEO of Newman Enterprises, Adam bristled at having his sister be his boss, but decided to stay on and run Newman Media so as not to give her the satisfaction of running him out of the family business entirely. Adam hired Sally to be the COO and the pair finally gave up trying to keep their relationship professional and had sex in his office! When Victoria left town with Ashland, Victor named Adam temporary CEO but it was a very brief tenure as Victoria returned soon enough having dumped Ashland and ready to take over again. Furious, Adam stepped away completely, leaving Sally in charge of Newman Media… but also dumping her so she wouldn’t be dragged down with him!

Sally knew what Adam was trying to do and attempted to lure him back into her arms, but he refused. When Ashland died under suspicious circumstances, Adam knew his family was hiding some involvement in it and dug around until he found proof Victor had staged the car accident to protect Nick. Eventually, Adam listened to Chelsea and gave up on his quest for revenge, and accepted Jack’s offer to be Jabot’s co-CEO. Adam tried to reconcile with Sally, but she turned him down and he soon came to realize she’d started seeing Nick.

Adam clashed with Chelsea when she told Connor she was Johnny’s birth mother and later grew concerned when he couldn’t get in touch with her. He was stunned to learn that she had attempted suicide and was being treated in a mental health facility. He also butted heads with Billy, who seemed intent on being the only one to support Chelsea. When Adam got drunk and opened his heart to Sally, it led to them sleeping together again but afterward, she told him it was over for good this time. 

As 2024 began, Adam was in a foul temper and lashing out at everyone around him, including Billy, for trying to help Chelsea through a difficult time. After discovering that Kyle had been plotting with Victor to oust him at Jabot, Adam realized he wasn’t happy there anyway and quit. Knowing Victor wanted him back at Newman, Adam agreed to return if he was given Victoria’s job. But then everything changed when Sally informed him that she was pregnant and he was the father of her child. He accepted that Sally wanted to remain with Nick, and accepted Victor’s job offer to run McCall Unlimited, renaming it Adustus International and hoping to take down Newman with it.

Adam offered Sally a job at his new company, but she turned him down. When she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, he became extra protective and caring but when she had to be rushed to the hospital, Adam was forced to choose between saving her life or that of their daughter. When Sally recovered, she lashed out at him for letting their baby die. Adam agreed to work with Nick and Sharon to merge Adustus and Kirsten Incorporated, but Victor kiboshed the idea. After Victor ousted his son from Newman, Adam agreed to work his way up from the bottom, taking a new position as assistant to Nate Hastings. 

Sally and Adam continued to be drawn to each other, and Nick eventually split up with the redhead. Sally confessed her feelings and Adam took her to bed again. When Victor began displaying confusion and memory loss, Adam grew concerned and wanted his father to see a doctor. But it was all a ruse to smoke out a traitor at Newman. And while many assumed it was Adam, Victor named Nate and fired him immediately! Adam was upset to have been kept in the dark when Jordan Howard abducted Nikki and threatened the rest of the family, but agreed to work with Nick when Victor appointed them co-CEOs. The brothers were surprised at how well they worked together but things were awkward when Adam and Sally would run into Nick while out together.

Stay tuned to find out how Adam’s story continues!