Diane Jenkins

For the Louisiana legal and political activist, married to Woody Jenkins, see Diane A. Jenkins.

Diane Jenkins
Maura West as Diane Jenkins (2010)
The Young and the Restless
Portrayed by	Alex Donnelley (1982–1984, 1986, 1996–2001) Susan Walters (2001–2004, 2010) Maura West (2010-2011)
Duration	1982–1986, 1996–2004, 2010, 2010-2011
First appearance	May 1982
Last appearance	August 2, 2011 (alive) October 24, 2011 (appeared in a flashback)
Cause/reason	Murdered
Created by	William J. Bell
Profile
Nickname(s)	Villainess Tiger (by Adam)
Gender	Female
Cause of death	Bludgeoned to death with a rock
Occupation	Former In-house architect for Newman Enterprises Worked with Kline and Edwin Architects, Toronto, Canada Worked in South America for a year Formerly an architect with her own business Briefly worked for Drucilla Winters as a consultant at Newman Enterprises Former decorator/investor in Jabot Cosmetics Architect Former Member of the Board of Directors of Newman Enterprises Former Model for Jabot Cosmetics
Susan Walters as Diane Jenkins (2004)
Alex Donnelley as Diane Jenkins (1997)
Relationships Parents Kyle Jenkins (deceased) Spouse(s) Andy Richards (divorced) [1983–1984] Victor Newman, Sr. (divorced) [1997-2000] (annulled) [2011] Romances Brad Carlton (deceased) Tucker McCall Victor Newman Jack Abbott Nicholas Newman Adam Newman Children Kyle Jenkins Abbott (son, with Jack)

Diane Jenkins (formerly Richards and Newman) is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless last played by Maura West from October 8, 2010 to August 2, 2011. Since August 3, 2011, West continues to appear as Diane in flashbacks. Much of Diane's history has revolved around her romance with Jack Abbott and marriages to Victor Newman.

Casting

Played by two actresses during two widely-spaced intervals, from 1982 to the fall of 1984, again in 1986, and from October 1996 to February 14, 2001^[1], she was a part of the plot-line for a total of twelve years. Alex Donnelley originated the role in its first four-year period and returned ten years later to play the part for five additional years. She departed in early 2001; Upon her departure, the character was portrayed for three more years by Susan Walters, who took over the role on November 29, 2001.^[2] Diane was last seen on October 4, 2004.^[3] After that, Walters was dropped to recurring status,^[4] but didn't make an appearance after that. Diane's absence was explained sometime later. Susan Walters made a brief return for two episodes in February 2010.

On August 5, 2010, the role was recast by former As the World Turns actress Maura West (who previously portrayed Carly Tenney). She reported to work on The Young and the Restless on September 1 with her first scenes airing on October 8.^[5] The character has been de-aged upon Maura West playing the role, which left some criticism with fans. On May 25th, 2011, it was confirmed by several sources that West had been let go from the number-one daytime drama role of Diane. ^[6] While Diane is killed off on August 1, 2011 in a whodunit storyline, West still appears in flashbacks detailing what might have happened the night of her murder.

Storyline

Affair with Jack Abbott and marriage to Andy Richards

Figuring that dating Jack Abbott would help her become a top model at Jabot, Diane Jenkins decided to start sleeping with him and fell in love with him, but Jack left her when he decided to marry Patty Williams as a way to show his father that he is a grown man. Despite that, Jack was late to his own wedding because he was sleeping with Diane. Diane and Jack continued their affair, and she was able to blackmail her way into becoming Jabot's top model. Jack, however, was more interested in having Julia Newman be Jabot's top model. When Diane learned this, she heightened her affair with Jack. Later, Patty miscarried upon seeing Jack and Diane making love in the Jabot headquarters lobby. Nonetheless, Patty wanted to continue her marriage to Jack just out of spite to Diane. After Patty's miscarriage, she wanted to have another baby and to move out of the Abbott Mansion and into their own house. Soon after, Jack spoke with former romance and current step-mother, Jill Abbott, about the real reason why he married Patty. Patty eventually found out and shot Jack. Jack lived, and Patty was sent to a mental facility. They later divorced.

Diane came to the conclusion that Jack isn't worth her time and focused on a new love, a detective named Andy Richards. Andy worked alongside Paul Williams, Patty's brother. The couple married and led an uneventful life, which led Diane to begin another affair with Jack. Later, Diane heard that Jack was going to give her a gift, which she had hoped was a engagement ring. Clearly, Jack had changed, so she asked Andy for a divorce and was looking forward to being with Jack, only to learn, that the gift was a bracelet, which was his way of saying he would be unable to commit to her. Disappointed, Diane left to Europe, but even there she couldn't rest. She figured out that she loved Andy, so she returned back in town only to find Andy happy with Farren Connor. She left town again.

Marriage to Victor Newman, motherhood and plotting against Phyllis

Ten years later and now working as an architect, Diane returned to Genoa City a free woman. She began working for Jack again, leaving their families to worry that they might hook up again. 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 to have a baby. She was bitterly disappointed to learn that Victor had a vasectomy suggested by his former wife, Nikki Newman. 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 - because their quick marriage in the hospital wasn't legal. Diane didn't take this easily and decided to get her revenge. At their divorce settlement in February 2000, Diane got a permanent board seat at Newman Enterprises.

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 and carry Victor's child. 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. She 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 asked to switch Victor's sample with another, and she was shocked to learn that it was Jack. Keen on finding out if Diane was a good mother, Nikki tracked her down in Milan and went to see her. She 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. She renamed the baby Kyle and eventually found out that Jack was the father. Jack, who was at the time involved with Phyllis Abbott, sued for sole custody of the child but didn't get it after Phyllis ruined her testimony on the stand. Diane got custody of the baby but refused to stop there - she 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 forbade her to go near the main house. One night, the pool house was burned down with Diane barely surviving. Phyllis was the main suspect for arson, but she was able to eventually 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 to live in Chicago with her son.

Newman romances, remarriage to Victor, and revenge schemes

In late February 2010, Diane returned to town to visit Jack with their son Kyle Jenkins 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 Newman and unknown to Diane, as well as everyone, she also came face to face with Jack's first wife Patty Williams, who was posing as Emily, after causing her to be hospitalized and unconscious.

Months later, in October 2010, Diane shocked Jack Abbott and Phyllis Newman, who are now back together, upon her permanent return to Genoa City and intent to find work with businessman Tucker McCall. During a storm, while in a business negotiation with him, they have a one night stand, while he is dating Ashley Abbott McCall. Her return to Genoa City is threatened, however, when Phyllis writes a revealing article about her in the magazine, Restless Style. As a result of this, communications between Diane and her son begin to flounder, thus Diane wanting to leave town again. Diane, during this time was also in a rough financial patch, and she also kissed Jack, who put his relationship with Phyllis on ice. Diane also found a friend, which happens to be her ex-husband Victor Newman, who is going through difficulties of his own.

As Diane tried to build her son a relationship with Jack, she began a romantic relationship with Nicholas Newman. Because of her financial problems, she took Victor's job offer and moved to the Newman Ranch. Jack was extremely outraged by Diane's decision and warned her not to use Kyle against him. Nick ended his romance with Diane, leaving her and Victor to begin a relationship. However, by February, Nick changed his mind, leaving Diane to choose between father and son. Victor ended up learning about her relationship with Nick, but at a dance at Gloworm, he saw Nikki dancing with Deacon and asked Diane to join him. Nick saw them and accused her of two-timing him. Since then, Victor and Diane's relationship bloomed, and Kyle moved onto the Ranch as well. However, Diane confessed to her friend and Victor's attorney, Michael, that there was someone else, and she can't stop thinking about him.

When Victor lost the lawsuit against Abby, Victoria, and Nick, he tossed the dinner table over and stormed out after Diane had prepared a special birthday dinner for him. Victor ended up taking comfort with Nikki, and Diane found them making out, but quickly ducked out. The next day, Nikki and Victor agreed that they couldn't go back, and when Nikki left, Victor and Diane ended up eloping with Michael, looking on nervously.

Since the wedding, Diane thought back to her relationship with Nick and hoped the two could be friends, but he wanted nothing to do with her. Even Victor suggested that she should stay away from Nick. In her new marriage, Victor tried to play the role of the caring father, much to Jack's dismay. However, Diane struggled with caring for Victor's family as he dealt with Nikki, regarding the "death" of Sharon Newman, the truth about the adoption of Lucy Abbott, and Abby Newman's selling of her Newman stocks to Jack. It was during that period that Victor and Nikki reconnected, feeling neglected and betrayed, Diane had a one-night stand with Jack. Eventually, Victor and Nikki had an affair, in which Diane caught them again, but quickly left after taking a picture of them. Afterward, Victor decided to annul his marriage, but Diane refused to sign the papers immediately.

With their marriage seemingly ending, Diane text messaged Tucker McCall, who was about to marry Ashley Abbott McCall, in hopes of having an affair. Abby Newman, however, ended up stealing Tucker's phone and hoped to lead Diane and Tucker to the Abbott Cabin for an affair. Later that night, a drunk Abby drove Ashley to the cabin to prove that Tucker was a cheater. Abby ended up crashing into Tucker, but Ashley switched places with her before the police came. Back at the Newman Ranch, Victor and Nikki fight over her dinner with Deacon Sharpe. Victor ended up ripping up the annulment papers with Diane.

After the accident, Ashley and Abby recover quickly, but Ashley switched places with Abby before the police came in order to protect her daughter. However, Diane suggested that the car meant to hit Tucker from her point of view. The police end up questioning why Diane was heading up that way anyway, and the truth came out, leaving Victor stunned. He kicked her out of the Ranch and claimed that she would get no money. Afterward, she ran into Adam Newman, who offered her his (formerly Sharon's house to live in. Their living arrangements were that of only roommates, hoping to drive Victor crazy. When Victor discovered them together, he was extremely livid and had Michael keep Adam and Diane of the Newman Ranch property. They weren't allowed on the driveway since Victor owned it, therefore couldn't get to the house. Adam and Diane ended up sharing a room at the Athletic Club, but Adam and Nick later team up to prove that Sharon Newman's death was not a suicide. Diane followed them to New Mexico, the site of the crash, but they both wanted her gone. Nick decided to leave early, as Diane manipulated her way so that she could sit right next to Nick on the plane ride home. After initially hostile discussions, Nick and Diane end up making love back in Genoa City, and Adam later caught them. However, soon after Nick decided it was a mistake, and both Adam and Nick don't want a romantic relationship with her.

Soon after, Adam and Diane hatch a scheme to destroy Victor on the day of his IPO. As Diane implemented their plan, she began by tipping off Jack. When she arrived at the Newman Ranch, she explained to Victor that she was pregnant. At first Victor didn't believe it, but he later gave in. As she began to fake having cramps, Victor called up an ambulance. While Victor wasn't looking, she threw his cell phone in a water glass, thus breaking it. As Diane and Victor headed off in ambulance, video of it was sent to Adam, who in turn tipped of the press that Victor had suffered a stroke. Victor ended up "dying", and the stock prices fell dramatically. Eventually, Victor caught on to Diane's ruse, threw her out of the ambulance, and returned to the Ranch, where Michael and Nick were trying to figure out the truth. Victor was able to prove that he was still alive, but he knew that he needed to get his payback on Adam and Diane. As Adam, Diane, and Jack were celebrating their success, Diane knew that Victor would try to get his payback soon.

In fact, payback from Victor began almost immediately, as he got the SEC to investigate the actions of the trio. They were all subpoenaed, and Diane tried to skip town with Kyle, but an official from the SEC stopped her. Eventually, Victor offered to end the investigation into her activities, if she recanted her account of Tucker McCall's accident. Diane agreed, and the charges against Ashley were dropped. However, despite the efforts of Victor and Michael, the SEC continued to look into Diane. In addition, Jack threatened Diane not to leave town with Kyle. Feeling betrayed, Diane agreed to another scheme by Adam to take both Victor and Jack down. Yet, Adam secretly recorded Diane's conversation regarding tipping off Jack from the IPO; he claimed that it was insurance. On the other hand, Diane went to the DA, offering to help bring Adam down in return for immunity from the SEC. However, a friend of Adam's in the DA office ended up tipping off Adam about some of Diane's activities just as Sharon returned from the dead. However, Adam didn't know the full extent of Diane's activities and suggested they team up in another scheme, this time involving Kyle. As a part of the scheme, Diane got Victor to get custody of Kyle because she was going to leave town over her fear of Adam. In reality, Diane sent Kyle away to a Swiss Boarding School under another name.

Death and aftermath

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 McCall. 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 McCall 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 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. It is yet to be revealed who actually murdered Diane, however, Abby believes that Adam is behind her murder, though Adam knows that Patty Williams made a film to taunt Diane's murder suspects, as well as torturing both Nick and Ashley, by calling Nick repeatedly with an audio tape of him threatening to physically hurt Diane, and she sent Ashley photographs via mail of her pushing Diane to the ground.

Due to her grudge against Adam, Patty did not include him in the film she put together to make it look like he made the film and is taunting everyone else. Due to this, Phyllis has practically convinced Ronan that Adam has to be behind Diane's murder. However, on November 14, 2011, Patty reveals that Adam had something serious to do with Diane's murder.

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

References

• Diane Jenkins profile at Soapcentral.com

1. ^ The Young and the Restless recap (February 14, 2001) - Soapcentral.com
2. ^ The Young and the Restless recap (November 29, 2001) - Soapcentral.com
3. ^ The Young and the Restless recap (October 04, 2004) - Soapcentral.com
4. ^ The Young and the Restless news (December 20, 2004) - Soapcentral.com
5. ^ The Young and the Restless news (August 5, 2010) - Soapcentral.com
6. ^ The Young and the Restless news (May 25, 2011) - Soapcentral.com