As Y&R’s Ashley questions her sanity over what went down with Tucker during their Paris honeymoon, here’s a look back at other times Ms. Abbott has experienced mental health struggles.
In 1985, Ashley — who had already made her mark as a strong, intelligent and dynamic businesswoman — was cornered in the garage of the family home by a man, Brent Davis, who rocked her world with an explosive truth: He, not John Abbott, the man who had raised her, was her biological father! Ashley was so traumatized by the info that, suffering from hysterical amnesia, she fled Genoa City and wound up working at a rural diner, where she was known as “Annie”. Victor (then married to Nikki) tracked Ashley down and rescued her in the nick of time before she was raped by a lecherous truck driver. Back in Genoa City, Ashley’s memory returned and she even made peace with a dying Brent before he passed away.
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Bench Warmer: Ashley (Eileen Davidson) was discovered in mental distress in New York City.
In 1986, Ashley opted to have an abortion when she became pregnant by Victor so that he would stay with Nikki, who had been (mis)diagnosed with a terminal disease. However, after ending the pregnancy, Ashley began to hear the imaginary cries of a baby. While in New York City on a business trip, a haunted Ashley experienced a complete mental break. With no memory or identification (her purse was stolen from her), she was admitted to a mental institution as a Jane Doe, where she was treated by a kindly — and handsome — psychiatrist, Dr. Steven Lassiter. Ashley’s father, John, finally located his daughter in 1987 and arranged her transfer to Fairview, a private institution in Genoa City, where Steven oversaw her recovery. Ashley was released from Fairview and in 1988, she married Steven, who was then fatally shot.
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Ripple Effect: A catastrophic car accident led to Ashley’s next breakdown.
In 2003, Ash was pregnant with husband Brad’s baby when she was involved in a car accident that claimed the life of her unborn child. Ashley blamed herself for the tragedy and experienced another mental breakdown, then started introducing a baby blanket as her son, Robert. She soon became catatonic, only responding whenever she heard Victor’s name or voice. At her lowest point, she arrived at the Arts Council gala in a bathrobe, cradling the baby blanket. Ashley was hospitalized for a time, but made a full recovery.
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The Girl Is (Not) Mine: Ashley was led to believe she’d given birth to a daughter.
In 2009, Ashley and Victor expecting a baby when his son Adam deliberately sought to drive her mad by making her believe she was being haunted by Victor’s dead wife, Sabrina. Adam’s trickery caused Ashley to fall down a staircase and miscarry. Adam then blackmailed a doctor to convince her that the baby was fine, and Ash experienced a phantom pregnancy, even developing a baby bump. Months later, Ashley was feeling so emotionally fragile that she committed herself to Fairview, where a pregnant Sharon was also a patient. After Sharon gave birth to Faith and lost consciousness, Adam kidnapped the newborn and presented her to Ashley, who believed she actually delivered a baby. Ashley went home with “her” daughter, while Sharon spiraled in grief, but early in the following year, Adam’s heartless deception was exposed and Sharon got her baby back.
