The Young and the Restless’ Jason Thompson Teases a ‘Serious’ Turn for Jill
The wedding of Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) takes place next week on The Young and the Restless — and according to the groom’s portrayer, the drama of the big day extends to Billy’s mother, Jill Abbott (Jess Walton).
Jill Drama RSVPs to Billy and Sally’s Wedding
In the latest issue of TV Guide, Thompson previewed the upcoming nuptials and revealed that “there’s something pretty serious that goes down with Jill, and it throws everything into the blender in that moment.”
Jill, the longest-running character on the Y&R canvas, has been played by Jess Walton since 1987. And even though the character no longer resides in Genoa City, her presence continues to loom large.
Jill’s last on-air appearance took place in July, but Walton was unable to travel from her home in Oregon to film the five episode stint, so Jill was temporarily recast with Days of Our Lives vet Lauren Koslow (Kate).
Billy and Jill’s relationship was in a tense place during that visit, with Billy accusing Jill of lacking faith in him, and Jill trying to convince her son that she did believe in him. During her time in Genoa City, Jill also learned about Billy’s engagement to Sally and the fact that they were expecting a baby, and before she departed to return to London, she referenced her ongoing health issues and noted that she wanted to mend their relationship while there was still time. Billy replied that he wanted that, too.
In September, Sally revealed to Billy that she had invited Jill to the wedding. Initially, Billy balked at the idea, fearing that her attendance would trigger conflict and disrupt his efforts to start a new chapter in his life with Sally and their baby. But his big sister Traci (Beth Maitland) convinced him to reconsider, and Billy ultimately called Jill to let her know she could come to the ceremony — provided she didn’t pick a fight.
The show has not yet indicated whether Jill actually makes it to the ceremony, as no upcoming appearances by Jess Walton have been announced. So fans will have to tune in next week to see whether Jill shows up or if the “pretty serious” matter related to Jill is one that prevents her from attending her son’s wedding.
Whatever happens, Thompson hinted that the action at the wedding episodes, “change the trajectory of the story” for Billy and Sally and that the resulting ripple effects “are quite large—things that we could play for the next 10, 20 years, frankly.”
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