The Young and the Restless' Jessica Collins (Avery Clark) will appear in her final Genoa City scenes on Tuesday, July 21, and while fans are trying to prepare for her upcoming departure, the actress has decided to be truthful about the behind-the-scenes happenings that led to her exit.
Soap Opera Digest spoke with Collins about her departure, and she admits it hasn't exactly been the most pleasant parting of ways. "I've been disappointed with the story and the direction and integrity of my character for quite some time, but I was still hopeful we might be able to turn it around," she told the magazine. "Then my contract was up for renewal and I wasn't happy with their offer. I was told there was no room for discussion, which made me realize there wouldn't be much discussion for the character, either. With all those factors, I just felt like it was the right time to leave."
However, the actress says choosing to walk away was not a decision she came to quickly or easily. "The truth is, I wanted to stay on the show," she admits. "But my agent found it impossible to have a real dialogue with anyone in charge. He presented them with a very fair solution on how to keep me on the show, but no one at Y&R ever followed up on it. At that point, I had to be really honest with myself, and the reality is... Avery isn't the character I originally fell in love with playing. And although I was trying my best to make it work, I wasn't enjoying this new version of her. I went with my gut. It was time to move on."
Despite it all, Collins says her four years at the CBS soap were an amazing ride. "I grew up a lot on this show," she shares. "It was a magical four years and one of the happiest times in my life."
For the entire interview, which includes details about Avery's recent personality shift and what really happened with the show's plan to have Avery lie about Joe (Scott Elrod) raping her, check out the latest issue of Digest.
Collins will air for the final time on July 21.
What do you think about the new details surrounding Collins' Y&R exit? Considering the new information, do you think she should have stuck around Genoa City, or do you support her decision to walk away from the show? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
