John Abbott (The Young and the Restless)

John Abbott
Jerry Douglas as John Abbott
The Young and the Restless character
Portrayed by	Brett Halsey (1980–81) Jerry Douglas (1982–2013, 2015-)
Duration	1980–2013, 2015-
First appearance	1980
Created by	William J. Bell
Classification	Present; recurring
Profile
Other names	John Abbott, Sr.
Occupation	Founder and former Chairman of the Board of Jabot Cosmetics Former CEO of Jabot Cosmetics
Family Abbott Father Robert Abbott Wife Dina Mergeron (1950–63) Jill Foster (1982–86, 1993–96) Jessica Blair Grainger (1988–89) Gloria Fisher (2004–05, 2005–06) Sons Jack Abbott Billy Abbott Daughters Traci Abbott Ashley Abbott Grandsons Keemo Volien Abbott Kyle Abbott John Abbott III Johnny Abbott IV Granddaughters Colleen Carlton Delia Abbott Katie Newman

John Abbott is a fictional character from the American CBS Daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. He is the patriarch of the Abbotts, one of the core families that was introduced to the series in 1980. After a brief portrayal by Brett Halsey, the role was portrayed by Jerry Douglas until the character's death onscreen on August 18, 2006. Since September 1, 2006, Douglas has been reprising his role as a hallucination to various other characters. John's children are Jack, Traci and Billy Abbott.

The role was originated by Brett Halsey in 1980 for a year. Then, Jerry Douglas took over the role in March 1982. When John died in 2006, Douglas was only out of work for a few months. Maria Arena Bell, the head writer for the series, brought him back as a recurring guest star on September 1, 2006. Since John's death, Douglas has portrayed the role of John Abbott's spirit, and he appears to his children and friends in times of great need. In 2008, Douglas portrayed the role of Alistair Wallingford on the series for three months.

Following Alistair's departure, Douglas still returns on occasion as Jack's inner conscience.

In 1980, John Abbott was introduced as the founder of Genoa City conglomerate, Jabot Cosmetics. He went to high school with other prominent Genoa City residents including Stuart Brooks, Neil Fenmore, Katherine Shepherd, Joanna Manning, Gary Reynolds, his first wife, Dina Mergeron, and a classmate named Suzanne Lynch, whom Ashley was named after. In 1972, Dina left John alone to raise their three children: Jack (Peter Bergman), Ashley (Eileen Davidson) and Traci Abbott (Beth Maitland). Dina was unfaithful before she left John because Ashley discovered in 1982 that Brent Davis, her mother's former lover, was her biological father. John never discovered that Ashley was not his biological child. The children were mainly raised by the Abbott maid, Mamie Johnson (then played by Marguerite Ray). John had a very prominent role in his children's lives, and he helped them grow up to be successful business people. Jack graduated from Harvard University, and along with Ashley, who graduated from Colorado State University, prepared to one day take over their family company. Traci graduated from Stanford University, and she became a best-selling novelist.