What Happened to Dina on Young and Restless

Dina Mergeron on Young and Restless had quite the dramatic life story, but because her character originally appeared many years ago, some newer viewers might not be aware of many of the details of her history. Let us try to break it down for you…

Who is Dina Mergeron’s family?

Marla Adams joined Y&R back in 1983 as Dina, who was John Abbot’s first wife. She is the mother of Jack Abbott, Ashley Abbott, and Traci Abbott, and grandmother to Keemo, Kyle, Abby, and Colleen. Dina was also very close friends with the late Katherine Chancellor. Later it was revealed that Dina also had an illegitimate son with Stuart Brooks who was put up for adoption, making Theo Vanderway her grandson. Although the identity of Eric’s father remains a mystery.

Why did Dina return to Genoa City?

Dina left John before the Abbotts arrived in Genoa City, and he was forced to raise their three children on his own. Thankfully he had the help of housekeeper Mamie Johnson, so the kids turned out okay! Dina arrived in Genoa City the widow of a wealthy cosmetics baron named Marcel Mergeron. She hoped to keep her identity secret as she attempted to buy Jabot Cosmetics but failed. Dina was also by son Jack’s side when he was shot by a crazed Patty.

Who is Brent Davis?

Involved with painter Eric Garrison, Ashley was shocked to find a painting of Dina among his things signed “All my love, Eric.” Furious that her mother and Eric had been lovers in the past, Ashley broke it off and fell in love with Marc Mergeron, who turned out to be Dina’s stepson. Ashley was further traumatized when a dying Brent Davis insisted on confessing on his deathbed that he was her real father, not John Abbott!

Dina was so enraged at Brent for revealing the truth that she tried to shoot him, but missed and hit Katherine, instead! Victor found Ashley at a diner where she had no memories and was calling herself Annie and brought her home to recuperate with him and Nikki. As her life returned to normal, Ashley vowed that John would never know he wasn’t her real father, a secret everyone kept until his death.

What was wrong with Dina?

Over the years, Dina had been living in Paris running Mergeron Cosmetics, though she made occasional visits to Genoa City, such as attending her dear friend Katherine’s funeral in 2008. She returned to sell Mergeron Cosmetics to Neil and Devon, and her family was immediately suspicious of her companion, Graham Bloodworth. It turned out he was just after her fortune, and when he attempted to murder her for it, she turned the tables on him and injected him with his own drug!

However, even once Graham was dead, the Abbotts had to face the heartbreaking reality that Dina was suffering from Alzheimer’s. And after publicly dropping the bombshell that Brent is Ashley’s biological father, Dina then followed that up by revealing that Jack isn’t John Abbott’s real son, either! Thankfully, that second revelation turned out to be false, but as Dina’s condition worsened, the family had to face the fact that they could no longer give her the care she needed at the mansion and had to send her to a home. But as her condition continued to deteriorate, Jack, Ashley, and the rest of the Abbotts brought Dina back home for a final farewell. The Abbott matriarch died surrounded by her family… minus Theo, who was furious at being kept out of the loop. The Abbotts also tracked down Dina’s necklace, “The Teardrop of Love,” and broke up the emerald into separate stones to make jewelry for each family member to have to treasure Dina’s memory.