Diane Jenkins

Susan Walters as Diane Jenkins

**Diane Amelia Jenkins** is a fictional character on *The Young and the Restless,* last portrayed by Maura West, and will be once again portrayed by Susan Walters in 2022. The role has also previously been originally played by Alex Donnelley.

On March 21, 2022 through a leaked image, it was confirmed that Susan Walters will be returning to Y&R as Diane as the mysterious person who has been sending Jack the text messages. Her first airdate is on March 23, 2022 at the end of the episode.

## Biography

Diane Jenkins was the daughter of Kyle Jenkins, the mother of Kyle Abbott and the grandmother of Harrison Locke.

### Jack, Andy and Victor

Figuring that dating Jack Abbott would help her become a top model at Jabot Cosmetics, Diane Jenkins decided to start sleeping with him. She fell in love with him but was left when he wanted to marry Patty Williams as a way to show his father that he was a grown man. Diane and Jack continued their affair after the wedding. Patty miscarried after falling in the company lobby caused by catching Jack and Diane making love. Patty then shot Jack after learning the truth about why he really married her.

Diane came to a conclusion that Jack isn't worth her time and focused on a new love, a detective named Andy Richards. The couple married and led an uneventful life, and Diane began another affair with Jack. Diane left Andy for Jack, but he didn't want her. Disappointed, Diane left for Europe, but even there she couldn't rest. She figured out that she loved Andy, so she returned to town only to find Andy happy with Farren Connor. She left town again.

Ten years later, Diane returned. She began working for Jack again, leaving their families worried that they might hook up. Diane and Jack admitted their feelings for each other and got engaged. Jack's nemesis Victor Newman hatched a plan to steal Diane away from Jack as a way of getting revenge, but he fell for Diane. The couple got married and started living a good life until Diane decided she wanted to have a baby. She was bitterly disappointed to learn that Victor had a vasectomy suggested by his ex, Nikki Reed.

### Nikki, A Pregnancy and Paternity

Nikki was shot by her husband's ex-wife Veronica Landers and was on her deathbed, so Victor divorced Diane in order to marry Nikki before she died. A twist of fate kept Nikki alive, while Diane was hoping that Victor would be able to remarry her. Victor and Nikki realized they still loved each other and decided to get married for real. Diane didn't take this easily and decided to get revenge. In their divorce settlement, Diane got a board seat at Newman.

Diane was taken by surprise when she learned Victor had his sperm frozen at Robertson Labs, so she arranged to get it in order to get artificially inseminated. Several people found out about it and the sperm was stolen and transferred various times. When Diane finally got her hands on it again, she rushed to the doctor to get inseminated. Diane gave birth to a boy and named him Christian Victor Newman then told Victor that the baby was his child.

A DNA test proved that the baby wasn't Victor's, and Diane left town not long ago after that. What Diane didn't know was that Nikki switched Victor's sample, and she was shocked to learn that it was Jack's sperm. Keen on finding out if Diane was a good mother, Nikki tracked her down in Milan and went to see her. Nikki decided to keep quiet about the baby's paternity. Diane returned to town not long after that trying to find out why Nikki went to see her.

### Kyle, Phyllis and Emily

She renamed the baby Kyle and eventually found out that Jack was the father. Jack, who was at the time involved with Phyllis Summers, sued for sole custody of Kyle but didn't get it. Diane got custody of the baby but wanted Jack back. She moved into the Abbott pool house and started playing games with Phyllis. Jack made an agreement to let Diane stay at the pool house but forbid her to get near the main house. One night, the pool house was burned down with Diane barely surviving.

Phyllis was the main suspect for arson, but was able to prove that Diane set it up to look like Phyllis wanted her dead. Jack and Phyllis were able to get custody of Kyle. Diane's life got a bit better when Andy returned to Genoa City and they started dating again, but he left not long after he arrived. Diane broke any attachment to Jabot and Jack decided to give her Kyle back. She started working on a project for Newman with Drucilla Winters, but the project didn't last long. Diane then left with her son.

In late February 2010 to early March 2010, Diane made a brief return visit to Jack with their son Kyle Abbott as a surprise arranged by Jack's new wife Dr. Emily Peterson as a wedding gift. In the process of her return, Diane had a run in with her longtime nemesis Phyllis and, unbeknownst to Diane as well as everyone else, she also came face to face with Jack's first wife Patty Williams who was posing as Emily after causing Emily to be hospitalized and unconscious. Diane then departed Genoa City for Vancouver with Kyle once again.

### Diane Returns, Victor and Financial Troubles

In October, 2010, Diane returned to town with Kyle so he could be with his dad. Tucker McCall offered her a job and Diane decided to move back. She and Tucker slept together during a storm when they were supposed to be signing a contract. Phyllis wrote an article about Diane's past and Tucker fired her. Diane attempted to blackmail him but it didn't work out. In November, at the Genoa City International Airport, Diane was stressed because she missed her flight to New York for a job interview.

While waiting for the next flight, she ran into Victor. Diane was taken aback when Victor offered to fly her to New York on his private jet. Diane blew her job interview. Diane was drowning her bad interview sorrows in a drink when Victor approached her table. Diane asked Victor what the hell he was up to before joining her for a drink before launching into a monologue bringing him up to date regarding Kyle's discovery of the *Restless Style* article and how it felt to admit to her son what kind of person she'd been.

Victor asked her if things were really that bad. Diane said it was when the one person she could confide in was an ex-husband who once wished her dead. Then she asked Victor what he was doing in New York. He told her to forget it because anything he said would be used against him - experience had taught him that. But he said if anyone controlled their destinies it was him and Diane. Mr. Henderson at the Genoa City Athletic Club told Diane that she needed to pay her bill as the credit card she gave them was declined.

### Jack Steps Up, Phyllis and Diane Hash It Out

Diane could barely suppress her glee when Jack offered to take Kyle for the weekend adding that Kyle was his number one priority and he made that very clear to Phyllis Summers. Later, Diane ran into Phyllis at the Genoa City Athletic Club. Phyllis tried to get past Diane by saying she had an appointment. Diane said she hoped it was with a therapist because any woman who would hurt an innocent child in an attempt to hold onto her man clearly needed help.

Phyllis said she didn't write the article to upset Kyle. Diane asked what she thought would happen when he read it. Phyllis said usually a mother had parental controls on her kid's computer. Diane said she was a good mother but Phyllis was a selfish woman who used Kyle to get her claws into Jack. Phyllis said she would love to stay and giver her an equally insightful analysis into her character but she had to get her nails done. Diane said yes, she had to keep them sharp in case she decided to stab another unsuspecting child in the heart.

Phyllis asked if Diane really wanted to make a scene in the town where she lived with her son. Hadn't she embarrassed him already, Phyllis asked. Diane just stared at her. Phyllis said to mark the date that Diane Jenkins actually exercised some good judgment. Diane said it would be a crying shame if one day some of her past indiscretions came out and Summer had to hear about them. Later, Diane ran into Phyllis after her manicure and asked why she was in such a rush since she knew it wasn't a date with Jack.

### Phyllis, Phyllis, Phyllis

Phyllis said she didn't know where Diane had heard that. Diane said Jack told her. She said she guessed that little romp on Phyllis' desk was not enough to get him to forgive her for what she did to his son. Phyllis said Jack knew how she felt about Kyle. Diane said he also knew how much Kyle despised her. She said Jack had waited a long time to be a father so if he had to choose between his son and Phyllis, he would choose his son.

Phyllis said that's what Diane was hoping and was her goal because she and her son were a package deal. Diane said she was just looking out for her boy. Phyllis said if she was looking for people that upset him, she should look in the mirror. She said Kyle was upset with her but he was much more upset with his mommy. Phyllis said she wrote those things in *Restless Style* but Diane did them. Diane lunged for Phyllis just as Jack came in and raced to separate the women.

Diane and Phyllis called each other names. Jack dragged Diane into a waiting elevator where she told him that she though his desire to protect her from Phyllis could mean he still had feelings for her. Jack corrected Diane telling her he was protecting Phyllis. Diane said she wasn't so sure and kissed him. Jack told Diane he felt nothing. She told him thanks for nothing and got out of the elevator. After she was gone, Jack spotted an envelope on the floor of the elevator - it was Diane's bill from the Genoa City Athletic Club with a big red past due stamp on it.

### Recent Developments

In December, 2010, Diane took a job as an architect with Victor Newman at Newman Enterprises. After Victor left Nicholas Newman's house, Diane stopped by and seductively asked Nick if he was free for lunch. After Nick pulled Diane inside, they kissed passionately. Diane arrived at the ranch house and told Victor that she hadn't meant to sound ungracious at the coffeehouse. Diane said she'd decided to take Kyle Abbott to Toronto for a visit. Victor explained that Diane's timing was perfect because he would be busy handling a business crisis.

### Death

Yet, suddenly everything fell apart as Adam received a grand jury indictment, which included information Diane gave the DA, which in turn of events, put an end to their plan. Later, Diane interrupted Nick and Phyllis Newman making love, and in return, Diane received a restraining order to stay away from Phyllis after she attacked her. Then, a suspicious Jack threatened Diane not to pull any more tricks regarding Kyle and to get a hold of him immediately. She would bring Kyle back, in exchange for them returning as a family, and Diane ended up getting naked in front of Jack. He turned her down, and Diane claimed Jack would never see Kyle again. Building her own attack on Victor, Diane also teamed up with Deacon, so that she got the video of Abby confessing that she ran over Tucker.

With this leverage, Diane filed a lawsuit against Nikki, claiming that she destroyed her marriage to Victor. When Victor heard this, he threw Diane's camera with the footage of Abby into the fireplace, but Diane claimed that she had made copies already. An angry Victor threatened Diane to stop and once he left, Diane phoned the police that Victor threatened her and tried to attack her after she showed him pictures she had of him and Nikki together. Victor was later arrested for domestic abuse. Not only that, but the picture of Victor and Nikki was eventually leaked to the press by Diane. Victoria Abbott and Nick ended up confronting Diane about her attacks on the family and claimed that they would plan revenge against her. Diane tried to get Nick to pay her to leave town, but he declined. Diane also snipped with Ashley Abbott McCall, when discussing her having the footage of Abby. During their argument, Diane mentioned her affair with Tucker. Ashley responded by slapping her. Earlier, Tucker told Victor that he would be forced to take care of Diane, since Victor couldn't do it the first time. Diane ended up running into Adam again, and he proposed that they team up again, in exchange for her recanting her testimony. She agreed, and Adam gave her a significant amount of money. Diane ended up text messaging everyone to meet her at a river, but it isn't what happened or whether or not it had anything to do with her plan with Adam to fake her own death. Later that night, what is believed to be Diane's corpse is lying in the river.

With Diane now allegedly dead, members of the Newman & Abbott families who were in recent contact with her (hours before her "death") are under investigation for it. The next morning, all possible suspects seem to act suspiciously and quite possibly act as if they had contact with Diane or were at the park. Eventually, Ronan Malloy returned to Genoa City to head the investigation along with Paul Williams. During the course of Ronan's interrogation of the suspects, Victor, Adam, and Jack all think back to meeting with Diane later that night, but don't tell Ronan. Apparently, Adam and Diane began to step up their plan as they tried to frame Victor for her murder. However, Adam grew angry with Diane when she announced that she would give the SEC the information of the reporter who Adam dealt with the day of the Newman IPO. Diane also met with Jack that night where they fought about Kyle.

When Diane met with Victor, she announced to him that Adam was hoping to set him up for her "murder". Later, everyone that met Diane at the bridge in the park had flashbacks of the night. Phyllis Newman has an encounter with her, and they fight over "their years of unfinished business". During the fight, Phyllis chips one of her painted nails, which Ronan finds later to use as evidence. Tucker also arrived to settle things with her, and slams her to a tree while attempting to choke Diane, who pushes him into the bushes. His step-daughter, Abby Carlton Abby Newman, also arrives. Diane threatens that she'll let the world know about who really was behind the wheel the night of Tucker's accident, as she has the video of Abby confessing it. Abby asks how much money Diane would wants, but Diane answers by saying that the only thing she wants is for her to wake up in the morning, knowing that her life will be ruined by one Diane Jenkins. They begin the most violent fight yet.

Later on, Nick comes to meet Diane, they get into a fight, and while she's being held by Nick, she turns on her phone only to dial Ashley Abbott's number. Ashley arrives shortly afterwards. Her and Diane have a dispute, saying that Abby should have just confessed in the first place, without making a video at all. Diane says that it's ironic, because of the fact that she might have a video of her and Tucker's affair. Angry, Ashley calls her a bitch and pushes her very hard so that she falls down. Diane runs away, but Ashley runs after her and unknowingly drops her phone. Victor turns up as well, and Diane hoped that he would help her, but he refused and they fought. As they were fighting, Victoria Abbott arrives at the scene, shocked, and turns around to leave.

In early 2012, it is revealed that Diane's killer is Nikki Newman. However, according to a video that was found by Ronan, it shows that Diane at first attempting to attack Nikki with a syringe and then begins choking her to death. Nikki picks up a rock and bashes Diane in the head, killing her. Ronan tells Nikki that she killed Diane in self-defense. Although arrested at first for her murder, Nikki is eventually exonerated as the judge also believed it was self-defense.

Diane last appeared in flashbacks to Nick Newman, Abby Newman, Ashley Abbott, Tucker McCall, Victor Newman, Phyllis Summers Newman, Jack Abbott, Victoria Newman Abbott, and Adam Newman.

### Diane Returns

In March 2022, Diane turned out to be alive and sent Jack mysterious texts to inform him about his son Keemo Volien Abbott's death and the existence of his granddaughter, Allie Nguyen. Later, Diane meets Allie under an alias "Taylor Jenson", while purchasing her father's former home. After Diane reveals herself to Jack, she explains that she faked her death with the help of Deacon Sharpe, because of her actions in Genoa City, which lead for some people wanted her dead, so she decide to leave Kyle with Jack. After, Diane fake her death, she kept up with Kyle's achievements, including a recent photo of Kyle as a young man.

## Crimes Committed

* Lied about being Victor Newman's wife.
* Stole Victors sperm.
* Set the Abbott pool house on fire.
* Blackmailed Abby Newman with video evidence of her running down Tucker McCall.
* Brawled with Phyllis.
* Pushed Tucker McCall to the ground and gave him a poison sumack rash.
* Attacked Nikki.
* Tried to inject Nikki Newman with a syringe.
* Strangled Nikki.
* Faked her death with the help of Deacon Sharpe.

## Maladies and Injuries

* Punched in the face by Phyllis Summers in court
* Thrown out of an ambulance by Victor Newman
* Bashed in the head with a rock by Nikki Newman