The Young and the Restless' Camryn Grimes (Mariah Copeland) is enjoying her final weeks of pregnancy -- the actress' son is due in December -- with her first child, and she just moved into a new home. There's a lot going on for the mom-to-be, but she is thriving and absolutely delighted to finally be sporting a noticeable baby bump. "I thought that when I was this far along that I would be as big as a house but I'm just not," Grimes shared with Digest. But she assured readers that her baby measured fine. "He's actually two days ahead of schedule in development," she revealed.
On the home front, there have been big changes, too. Recently, Grimes and her fiancé, Brock Powell, moved into a new home. Surprisingly, Grimes and Powell opted to downsize their living space, sacrificing indoor square footage for a larger outdoor area, which now includes a pool. The timing of the move couldn't have been more perfect, since she'd been off from work at the time. "Now we're settled in so I'm enjoying the new nest," the actress shared.
Grimes met Powell in 2020 when Powell -- a voice-over artist for Disney animation -- helped Grimes with a voice-over demo. Unfortunately, COVID shut down the country, so Grimes and Powell were forced to get to know each other over endless video chats. "It had been probably since high school where I'd wake up and wanted to talk to that person all day long until it was night. I don't even like talking on the phone and here I was, gabbing for hours and hours," she revealed. It was their mutual love for Disney that sealed the deal for them.
Powell's marriage proposal was Up-themed because it's Grimes's favorite animated movie, but it took him repeating the proposal twice before it sank it what he was asking her. Once it did, she accepted. The couple had planned for a 2024 wedding until she discovered that she was pregnant. Grimes and Powell were thrilled by the pregnancy, and she admits that it was heartwarming to see people excited for her because they knew that she had wanted motherhood for a "long, long time." However, the pregnancy meant that the wedding had to be put on hold.
"Luckily, we had made a lot of like decisions about what we wanted, but I'm sure those details will change," Grimes said. She admits that she didn't feel any pressure to get married and that having a child had forced her to rethink some things financially. Grimes and Powell are still looking forward to a wedding, but only when it works for them. "If our first year of parenthood becomes stressful, then we'll wait until 2025. There's no time limit," the actress explained.
Grimes is equally content with where things stand between her Y&R alter ego, Mariah, and Tessa Porter (Cait Fairbanks), who are currently enjoying a happy and solid marriage. "I definitely see us like Michael [Baldwin; Christian LeBlanc] and Lauren [Fenmore; Tracy E Bregman] when it comes to the commitment to their marriage," she shared. Grimes points out that it's rare to see strong couples on television, but she thinks they are just as important as the breakups and the affairs because the offer a balance of the "wholesome with the drama."
Grimes has nothing but praise for Fairbanks, with whom she shares an implicit trust. "It makes the working environment really relaxing and comfortable. It's like any relationship: You build on the history and you build on the work that you've done and it just kind of becomes less work. I think we really know our characters, and more importantly, we know their relationship," the actress explained. Grimes credits that insight into their characters with allowing smaller details in, "like those moments of looks, the little jabs and the joking."
Grimes was reminded of the fans' adoration for Teriah (Tessa and Mariah) at a Y&R fan event this past August. "The appreciation the fans expressed for Mariah and Tessa was amazing," she recalled. She revealed that fans talked about how great Teriah's wedding was, and how they wanted the newlyweds to be involved in more story. "I think the beauty of these women is that they're also seen as individuals, so they can have their own stories outside of their relationship but still be a strong couple," Grimes mused.
Grimes and Fairbanks have received strong support from the LGBTQ+ community for their characters. "They're really excited and that motivates you to do a good job every day. I've heard accounts that Tessa and Mariah have helped people come out or helped them realize their sexuality or helped a family member understand their sexuality. It just reinforces time and time again how vital representation is at all levels," the actress said.
What's ahead for Mariah, Tessa, and their daughter? Grimes admits that she is looking forward to delving deeper into the Aria hearing loss storyline. "They've been happy for a while and just coasting along, so it'll be interesting to watch them navigate this obstacle as a married couple and grapple with what that means for their future and for their child's future," she conceded. Grimes thinks it's important to have Mariah and Tessa deal with a reality that a lot of parents have to face. "I think is important to show and talk about," she explained.
Upon reflection, Grimes admits that her life is a lot different than it was three years ago. "It's sometimes hard to wrap my mind around, but in a good way, that all the things I wanted so much, I have now. I feel extremely lucky," she concluded.
Can't get enough of Grimes? You're in luck. She reprised her role as Mrs. Claus alongside Powell -- who returned as Santa Claus -- for Disney. For all the details on that continue reading here.
Enjoying Mariah and Tessa? Will you miss Grimes when she's on maternity leave? 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.
