The Young and the Restless' Summer and Kyle have faced a lot of drama in the past few weeks, but none of it tops the bad news that has just been dealt to the characters: the loss of their portrayers, Hunter King and Michael Mealor.
According to a report by Soap Opera Digest, protracted contract negotiations between the CBS soap and its leading young couple have reached a stalemate, thus, King and Mealor have exited their roles as the Newman and Abbott heirs.
There is currently no information as to when King and Mealor will last be seen on the canvas, but rumor has it Kyle will soon be joining Summer in Milan, where the latter has taken a job as a creative director at Marchetti. Though Summer's new job in Italy sounds exciting, it's not all sunshine and cannoli. As viewers know, she was forced to accept the job after Tara Locke (Elizabeth Leiner) threatened to keep Kyle's son, Harrison (Kellen Enriquez), away from him unless Summer skipped town.
Tara was assisted by the ever-scheming Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) in her machinations, which has left many fans wondering what's in store for Tara and Sally if they have indeed successfully run Summer and Kyle out of town. As for Skyle, well... fans can only hope that their love will endure and that the popular pair will eventually make their way back to town as a united front with payback on their minds!
A show source tells Soap Central that there appears to be some movement in talks since Digest went to print, but it is unclear if that movement pertains to one or both stars.
Hunter King took on the role of Y&R's Summer in 2012 and took a two-year hiatus in 2016 before returning in 2018. Some of her other credits include Life in Pieces, Hollywood Heights, and Dexter. She has won two Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Younger Actress category for her work on Y&R (in 2014 and 2015).
Michael Mealor took over the role of Kyle Abbott in 2018, having previously starred on series like Supergirl, Roadies, and Chasing Life. The Georgia native has a modeling background that includes work with Coca Cola and Abercrombie and Fitch, and he has appeared in music videos for Lady Gaga and Britney Spears.
UPDATE (July 12, 2021): Michael Mealor has confirmed his exit from The Young and the Restless. For more on that story, continue reading here.
What do you think about Hunter King and Michael Mealor reportedly exiting Y&R? How do you feel about the popular duo's recent storyline and the rumor that Kyle will be joining Summer in Italy? 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.
