The Young and The Restless has been on air for multiple decades. Thus, it is no surprise that this CBS soap boasts of an exorbitantly large pool of characters. However, not all of those characters who have come and gone have been memorable. That being said, there have certainly been a few who have left a lasting impact on the viewers. Cameron Kirsten happens to be one such character. Interestingly, he was on the soap only for a year before vanishing for 19 odd years! So, what really happened there? Let’s find out!
Linden Ashby’s Debut As Cameron Kirsten
In November 2003, charismatic Linden Ashby first stepped into the character of Cameron Kristen on The Young and The Restless. But before we dive into the character and the story, here is a little fun fact. If you don’t already know, Linden is actually actress Susan Walter’s Diane real-life husband. However, the two of them have not really had a story together on the long-running CBS soap.
Now, coming back to the story, 20 years ago, Sharon Newman ran away from Genoa City after sharing a kiss with Victor Newman on The Young and The Restless. While on the run, she landed in Denver. There, at a bar, she crossed paths with a rather charming man- Cameron. The two of them hit it off and ended up sleeping together. Unfortunately for Sharon, Cameron soon shed the charm charade and showed his real side- Abusive and violent. So she escaped from there too.
Sometime later, Cameron shocked Sharon on The Young and The Restless by suddenly reappearing in her life and demanding to meet her. Initially, she refused, but he threatened to reveal their history to the Newman’s while he was in GC for a business deal with them. Not wanting Nick to find out about her tryst with Cameron, she agreed to the meeting. The two of them then met at a seedy motel for a conversation. However, things soon got out of hand. Cameron once again got violent with Sharon, and she smashed his head with a champagne bottle.
The Ghost Of The Past On The Young And The Restless
After smashing his head, Sharon thought she had killed Cameron on The Young and The Restless. She disposed of his body in a nearby dumpster. But the baddie survived. An injured but very much alive Cameron returned to his lover – Grace Turner. Once he recovered enough, he decided to seek revenge on Sharon for what she had done. For months, he tormented her by pretending to be a ghost that was haunting her on the CBS soap. Hoping that it would eventually drive her to insanity.
Eventually, Cameron returned in front of Sharon on The Young and The Restless as though she never attacked him. Nor did any of the hauntings ever happen. He even went on to offer Nick a job with him. But Sharon knew it was all real. Thus, she finally confessed the whole truth to Nick. But when Nick confronted him and Grace, he denied everything. In fact, he murdered Frank (Faith’s bio-dad). And the blame fell upon Sharon.
He offered to fly her off to one of his private islands on The Young and The Restless to escape the police. Sharon agreed, seeing no other option. But unknown to them, Nick secretly boarded the jet with them. While on-air, Sharon tried to kill herself by jumping off. But Nick revealed himself and fought Cameron. They all jumped off with parachutes. Once on land, the police arrested a severely injured Cameron. And that was the last we saw of him back in 2004.
The Return Of Cameron Kristen
20 years passed by, and Sharon moved on with her life on The Young and The Restless. Not giving much thought to Cameron until 2023. In May 2023, she received an anonymous gift – a champagne bottle. Sharon didn’t think anything of it, in fact, she marveled at the gift while a shadowy figure spied on her. But fans knew! Long-term fans instantly knew that Cameron Kristen had returned for revenge. And they were right! It was only when she got another letter from Colorado that she connected the dots.
Much to her shock, Sharon realized that Cameron had returned on The Young and The Restless. Viewers finally saw him in the flesh when he appeared in Genoa City, interacting with Sally Spectra and Faith Newman. Later, he shocked Sharon by walking into Crimson lights. And then began a new reign of terror. He disguised himself as a Newman Guard and poisoned Faith’s cat. Then, put the deceased cat where everyone would see it. Later, Nick confronted him at the hotel. But not much came of it.
The End Of Cameron On The Young And The Restless
Cameron then crossed all limits when he kidnapped Faith and held her captive on The Young and The Restless. He then blackmailed Sharon, saying that he would release her daughter if she agreed to run away with him. Proving that he was still clearly obsessed with her. Nick once again burst in, but Cameron managed to escape. Later, he lured Sharon into a sewer where he was holding Faith captive and strapped to a bomb. Once she and Nick arrived, he grabbed Sharon and tried to slit her throat.
A struggle ensued between Nick and Cameron on The Young and The Restless. Just when things started to get scary, Chance Chancellor arrived just in time to diffuse the situation. However, having had enough, Sharon stabbed Cameron with a knife. Thus finally ending his life and reign of terror for good. They then proceeded to free Faith from the bomb that was on her.
With Chance pronouncing him dead, we don’t think he would be returning to Y&R again. But would you like to see Linden Ashby again on the soap? Tell us in the comments. Meanwhile, stay tuned to TV Season & Soaps for more The Young and The Restless updates.