Young and Restless’s Susan Walters Dishes Diane and Ashley’s ‘Ugly’ Rivalry (Exclusive)
Jack may have completely accepted Diane into the Abbott clan on Young and Restless, but some of the other family members aren’t quite as welcoming. Given her character’s contentious history with Eileen Davidson’s Ashley, Susan Walters (Diane) totally understands why Jack’s sister is constantly giving Diane the “hairy eyeball” as she tries to fit in with the family. “Well, if you were Ashley, would you ever like this person?” Walters poses with a chuckle. “Let’s be honest. I mean, I wouldn’t be a fan!”
All Together Now?
After all the ups and downs in their relationship over the years, Diane is determined to make her marriage to Jack work this time around, and having his siblings — including Ashley — on board would definitely help keep things going smoothly. Unfortunately, Diane has her own history with Ashley that could prove harder to move past.
Explains Walters, “For Diane, it’s like, ‘Yes, I want her to like me, I want her to accept me, I want peace in the family, I want it for Jack’s sake, et cetera,’ But also, Ashley was really ugly to Diane a couple of years ago, like, in front of her, and [she] was never able to fight back because she had to toe the line in front of Jack. So she just sat there and had to listen to Ashley be so ugly and not say anything. And that’s not Diane’s nature — but I sucked it up by God, because I wanted that ring on my finger!”
Blood Is Thicker: Diane worries Ashley (Eileen Davidson) will never accept her marriage to Jack (Peter Bergman).
Ever since returning to Genoa City in March 2022, over a decade after she faked her death, Diane has made a concerted effort to prove that she has changed for the better. And that means taking the high road when her rivals go low… within reason, of course. “It wouldn’t make sense for Jack to be with someone who was still running around town being hideous,” Walters reasons. “He just wouldn’t. He doesn’t need that.”
But Diane still has claws, and on occasion, will bring them to bear — particularly “as soon as she leaves the house and runs into Nikki,” Walters declares with a laugh. “That’s who Diane is. She’s not going to take a lot of crap from people.”
Even though Diane still has an edge, her portrayer believes that she really has changed her ways. “It sounds so weird, but I don’t feel like Diane is ever faking the good in her when she’s around Jack,” Walters insists. “I think he is a great outlet for it because he believes it in her. He trusts it in her. Someone like Ashley is not going to ever trust the good in her, so it feels a little different. But Diane’s not faking it being a loving wife.”
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