All Of Jack Abbott's Wives On The Young And The Restless
Jack Abbott was first introduced to "The Young and the Restless" viewers in 1981. The role was originated by Terry Lester who left the show in 1989 and went on to appear on "Santa Barbara" and "As The World Turns." Actor Peter Bergman stepped into Lester's shoes as Jack, following his 10-year stint as Dr. Cliff Warner on "All My Children." Although hesitant at first to replace another actor, Bergman relocated from New York to Los Angeles for the role, and thrived, having remained on the soap for over 30 years and counting (via Michael Fairman TV).
Jack is one of the infamous Abbott siblings, along with his sister Ashley and Traci, and was originally characterized as a villain. Over the years, Jack has become a more nuanced character thanks to the many romances that have softened his tough exterior, though he is still a shark when it comes to business — just ask Victor Newman.
After being abandoned by his mother at a young age, Jack desperately wanted a stable and loving home as an adult, but despite his best efforts, he hasn't been able to make a relationship last. In addition to many other romantic entanglements, Jack has been married a total of nine times, to six different women. Here's a look back at all the ladies who have called themselves Mrs. Jack Abbott.
Patty Williams had a habit of gunning down her husband Jack
A notorious playboy in his early years, Jack Abbott saw his first marriage in 1982 as little more than a stepping stone in his career (via Soaps). After having an affair with his step-mother, Jill Abbott (Jess Walton), Jack was unsurprisingly on the outs with his father John. In an effort to prove that he'd matured and was deserving of more responsibility in the family company, Jabot Cosmetics, Jack wooed the young and naïve Patty Williams (then played by Lilibet Stern and Andrea Evans). However, throughout their entire courtship and subsequent marriage, Jack maintained an affair with Diane Jenkins (then Alex Donnolly). When Patty discovered Jack's infidelity and learned that he'd only married her for his reputation, she suffered a miscarriage and then shot her cheating husband! Jack ultimately decided against pressing charges and the two were divorced.
However, in 2009, Patty (now played by Stacy Haiduk) made an unlikely reappearance in Jack's life. After a 25-year absence, Patty returned to Genoa City having undergone surgery to make her look like her psychiatrist Emily Peterson (via Soap Central). Experiencing mental illness and an obsession with Jack, Patty committed several heinous crimes in an attempt to win back her first love. Eventually, Jack fell in love with the real Emily and the two got engaged. Patty learned of their romance and was able to switch places with Emily, leading Jack to inadvertently remarry his first wife. Though that marriage was eventually deemed invalid, Patty managed another switcheroo the following year when she disguised herself as Jack's newest fiancée Genevieve Atkinson on their wedding day and shot him at the altar!
Lindsey Wells blackmailed Jack into marriage
Following Jack Abbott's divorce from Patty Williams in 1984 and a failed romance with Diane Jenkins, he rekindled his affair with his step-mother Jill Abbott, according to Soaps in Depth. While stranded together at a remote cabin, the two slept together. Unfortunately, Jack's jilted ex-lover Lindsey Wells (Lauren Koslow) had discovered their scandalous relationship and was able to take photos of them together. Lindsey then used the illicit pictures as blackmail against Jack and Jill to obtain a higher position at Jabot Cosmetics. She also used the evidence to force Jack to marry her, since she had never gotten over him.
Jack was two steps ahead of her, however, and when Lindsey realized that Jack had ensured that their wedding ceremony was invalid she mailed the pictures to Katherine Chancellor who made sure to show them to John Abbott (via Soap Central). John suffered a stroke after discovering his wife and son's affair. After he recovered, he promptly divorced Jill and threw Jack out of the Abbott manor and fired him from Jabot. Jack and Lindsey's ill-fated relationship lasted less than a year.
Victor Newman came in between Nikki Newman's marriages to Jack
Jack Abbott and Victor Newman have a long-standing feud that has entertained fans for years. More than just business rivals, the two men's disdain for each other can be described as pure hatred — which was only exacerbated when they began fighting over women, too. By 1990, Victor had schemed his way into control of Jabot Cosmetics and immediately fired Jack from his own company (via Soaps). Out of spite, Jack set his sights on Victor's ex-wife, Nikki Newman. After seducing his nemesis' great love, Jack convinced Nikki to marry him.
During their time together, Nikki experienced several miscarriages and another tragic loss, per Soap Central. In 1993, she gave birth to a son named John Abbott III, who died shortly after his birth. Her grief, along with a back injury, led her to develop both alcoholism and a prescription painkiller addiction. Though Jack had fallen deeply in love with her, Nikki's substance use put a serious strain on their marriage. Victor eventually offered Jack control of his business back if he would leave Nikki, and Jack agreed.
In 2012, Nikki helped Jack recover from his second shooting at the hands of Patty Williams. During this time the two grew closer once again and decided to give their relationship another try (via Soaps in Depth). However, just after their second wedding, Nikki declined to go on their honeymoon and instead left town to search for Victor, who had gone missing. By the time she returned, Jack had realized that Nikki would never truly be over Victor and the two divorced again.
Luan Volien was Jack's long-lost love
In 1995, a woman named Luan Volien (Elizabeth Sung) came to Genoa City with her adult son Keemo (Philip Moon), per Showbiz Cheat Sheet. It turned out that Luan and Jack had a relationship many years earlier while he was serving in the Vietnam War and they had been tragically separated. Luan tracked down her old love and informed Jack and Keemo that they were father and son. Luan and Jack's romance reignited and they fell in love again and bonded as a family.
Not long after the pair were married, Luan discovered that she was sick with a terminal illness (via Soap Central). Though she initially decided to keep it hidden from her family, Jack learned the truth but vowed to keep her secret, hoping to make the most of their remaining time together. Jack was devastated when Luan died and Keemo left town in anger after learning of his father's deceit.
Years later, Jack was heartbroken to learn that Keemo had died while they were estranged. It was even more painful for him when he found evidence that his son had intended to reach out to him before his passing. However, Jack did discover that Keemo had a daughter named Allie (Kelsey Wang) and Jack was more than happy to invite his new granddaughter into the family (via Soaps in Depth).
Phyllis Summers and Jack can never seem to make a relationship work
Jack Abbott and Phyllis Summers' (Michelle Stafford) romance is one of fans' most beloved relationships on the show. The pair initially fell in love and were married in 2001, though their marriage was not without drama. Shortly after they were wed, Jack learned that he had fathered Diane Jenkins' son, Kyle, after she stole his sperm donation (via Soaps). After Diane unsuccessfully tried to frame Phyllis for arson, the newlyweds were granted custody of the little boy. However, tensions in their marriage only grew when Jabot Cosmetics and Newman Enterprises began warring, since Jack and Phyllis worked for opposing companies. Eventually, Phyllis declared her loyalty to Newman and the pair were divorced.
Jack and Phyllis have tried to make a go of it many more times over the years. In 2014, Phyllis (then played by Gina Tognoni) informed Jack that he was the father of her daughter, Summer, who had been raised by Nick Newman up until that point (via Soaps in Depth). Shortly after, Phyllis fell into a coma and Jack and Summer proceeded to bond as father and daughter. When Phyllis awoke months later, she revealed that Sharon Newman had tampered with the paternity test and that Nick was Summer's father after all, devastating Jack. They two were married in 2015, though it was later revealed that Jack had been replaced by a nefarious lookalike named Marco who was hired by Victor Newman. The real Jack eventually reclaimed his life, but by 2016, he had discovered that Phyllis was having an affair with his brother, Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and they divorced again.
Jack's manipulative ways ended his marriage to Sharon Newman
Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) was another one of Jack Abbott's great loves. Though she has spent a significant amount of time married to Nick Newman over the years, Sharon has also had an on-again, off-again romance with Jack (via Soap Central). In the mid-aughts, Jack and Sharon bonded over their mutual heartbreak when their respective partners, Phyllis and Nick, had an affair together. The pair were married in 2007 and surprisingly both Sharon and Phyllis worked to get Jack elected to the Wisconsin State Senate not long afterward. Eventually, the foursome also forged an unlikely partnership and created a magazine together called "Restless Style."
Over time, Sharon became disillusioned in her marriage when she realized that time and time again Jack put his desire to ruin Victor Newman over everything else, including her. Jack was already on precariously thin ice when Sharon learned that he was guilty of forging diary pages in Victor's hand to make it look like his rival was guilty of murder, per Soap Dirt. Refusing to put up with anymore of his antics, Sharon filed for divorce and left Jack for good.