Fans are scared as Eric Braeden's Victor Newman was potentially set up to exit The Young and the Restless after more than 40 years.
The hit CBS soap opera has been on the air since 1973, and Braeden's character has been a part of it for almost all of it.
Over the years, he developed into the series' primary antagonist often seen on the opposite side of conflicts from fellow mainstay Jack Abbott (played by Peter Bergman).
Is Victor Newman Leaving The Young and the Restless?
The fate of Eric Braeden's Victor Newman is hanging in the balance after a recent episode of The Young and the Restless.
During a heated showdown at the Newman Ranch in the January 29, 2025 episode of the hit soap opera, Victor took a bullet to the chest, getting shot by one of his longtime rivals Ian Ward (played by Ray Wise).
This came as Ian simply wanted to see the series mainstay dead after everything he had put both his family and the rest of the Young and Restless cast over the years.
Ian eventually pulls the trigger after plenty of arguing over who will leave the shoot-out alive. Victor keels over and is carted off, seemingly hinting he could have died during the dramatic turn of events.
However, just like the potential exit scare of Sharon Case's Sharon Newman, it is not as simple as that, as the show leaves Victor's fate hanging for fans of the show. In fact, the episode ended, teasing that Victor survived the gunshot and is in the process of recovering.
This seemingly insinuates not even a bullet to the gut can take out this longtime soap staple, and Victor will continue to appear in the show.
Does Victor's Actor Wants To Retire?
At 83 years old (and 45 years of playing the same character on the series), fans have long wondered whether Victor actor Eric Braeden would eventually hang it up on Young and the Restless.
And even as people have come and gone from the shown—or been teased to do so (just look at Michael Graziadei's Daniel)—Braeden seemingly remains passionate about appearing in the series.
In November 2024, he spoke with TV Insider, revealing that not even bladder cancer could take him out of the game. "I will not [retire]," he admitted, telling fans "I feel very well. I really do:"
"I will not, I don’t want to. I feel very well. I really do. The [bladder] cancer is under control and I will have another cystoscopy in about a month, and if that is negative, then I’ll be free for a while. It’s never gone completely. You have to always watch, but signs are very good. The new knee is fully repaired. I do squats again and power cleans again and all that."
This also comes as the actor reportedly signed a new deal with CBS and the series in October 2024 (per Soaps).
That means that even though his character just took a bullet, Braeden is in it for the long haul and will continue to appear in The Young and the Restless for months (and potentially years) to come.
The Young and the Restless continues with new episodes every weekday on CBS at 12:30 p.m. ET and can also be streamed on Paramount+.
