Allison Lanier, who made her Young and Restless debut in the role of Summer Newman on May 17, 2022, has wrapped her Genoa City run. The actress confirmed her departure on X (formerly Twitter) with a message to fans that revealed her final air date: Friday, May 2.
“Hi guys!!” her post began. “This Friday, May 2nd, will be my last episode on Y&R! I’ve loved the journey and learned so much but it’s time to grow in a different direction… very grateful for all of the Y&R fans who have supported me <3.”
While Y&R does not comment on the status of its actors, sources tell Soap Opera Digest that the show has no immediate plans to recast the pivotal role of Nick and Phyllis’s headstrong daughter, which Lanier assumed after the previous Summer, Hunter King, vacated the role; she had played the part on and off since 2012. Prior to King’s Daytime Emmy-winning run, Summer was played by Lindsay Bushman. Summer was born on screen in 2006 and had been played by multiple child actresses beginning that year: twins Elara and Rhea Kerwin, twins Bianca and Chiara D’Ambrosio, twins Sophia and Angelia Hert, and, from 2009-12, Samantha Bailey.
In her first interview with Digest back in 2022, Lanier recounted how she had come to land the role of Summer. “I was living in New York when my manager told me about the opportunity,” she noted. “Just like any other acting job, I did a self-tape and sent it along, then they called me out to test. It was so exciting. So I flew to L.A. and I tested out here.”
She met her on-screen dad, Joshua Morrow (Nick) and leading man Michael Mealor (Kyle) during the casting process. “First I read with Joshua and he couldn’t have been nicer,” she enthused. “He’s a super-relaxed guy and really funny. So he broke the ice right away and made me feel comfortable. He was great to work off of. He felt like my dad. And I also auditioned with Michael and he was so sweet and giving. He helped make the scene we were doing together much easier for me.”
Lanier so impressed Y&R higher-ups that they quickly made up their mind to hire her. “They called just a few hours later,” Lanier marveled. “I’ve never gotten word back that fast. I was up against other women and when I left, I thought, ‘That was fun,’ so I put it out of my mind. When they called, I was just flabber-gasted, to be honest.”
Once the job was hers, Lanier had to move across the country in short order to begin filming. “It was less than two weeks,” the actress shared of her relocation to California. “I’m quick on my feet, so I made it happen. It definitely was a whirlwind and a crazy time but luckily, it all worked out.”
In an interview with Digest last year, Lanier — who earned a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2024 for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her work on the show — discussed the evolution of Summer in the two years she had spent playing the character. “I feel so good about it,” she said of her handle on the character. “I mean, I just feel so lucky to be on the show and to work with all these awesome people and we have so much fun.”
At the time, Lanier was optimistic that the romantic split of Kyle and Summer would open up promising new storyline characters for the character. “I think it’s been really good for both of our characters, honestly,” she mused. “It does open things up for Summer.”
What is your reaction to the news of Lanier’s exit — and do you think Y&R should recast Summer? Let us know in the comments below!
Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
At Summer’s End: Allison Lanier in a scene from her final Y&R episode as Summer, pictured with the character’s ex, Michael Mealor’s Kyle. Her on-screen exit will air on Friday, May 2.
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