What Happened To Neil Winters' Son Moses On The Young And The Restless?
At its core, "The Young and the Restless" is about family. Without the powerful families of "Genoa City," the show wouldn't be the same. The Newmans and the Abbotts get the most attention and recognition, but the Winters family has played a prominent role since 1991. Per Showbiz CheatSheet, Kristoff St. John originated the role of Neil Winters, playing the part until his untimely passing in 2019. Throughout the years, there have been numerous additions to the Winters family. Devon Hamilton (Bryton James) and Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) have been playing their roles in the family for many years as the children of Neil. However, they aren't the only individuals carrying the Winters legacy. People often forget there is a much younger third child, Moses Winters (Jacob Aaron Gaines).
The attention is frequently on Devon and Lily since they're more involved in the everyday happenings of "The Young and the Restless" (via Soaps.com). They're entangled in the dramatic storylines that make for gripping daytime television. Gaines made his debut as Moses in 2021 and gave life to a character that wasn't around for years (via Soaps In Depth). Moses is Neil's only biological child, and the circumstances surrounding his life so far are complicated at best.
Moses is the product of an illicit affair
The circumstances surrounding Moses' conception are enough to set the kid up for a dramatic life. Like many soap children, Moses was the product of an affair involving people with close personal ties. To preface, Neil and his brother Malcolm Winters (Darius McCrary) always had an antagonistic relationship. Regardless of how much effort they put into fixing things, something would end up derailing their progress. Neil having sex with his brother's fiance Sofia Dupre (Julia Pace Mitchell), is another example of that. Technically they called off the wedding at the time of their fornication, but Malcolm wasn't ready to permanently call it quits. Unfortunately, it was too late, and Sofia was pregnant (via Showbiz CheatSheet).
Naturally, with Sofia possibly pregnant with his brother's baby, their relationship hit the skids, and they split. Malcolm left town after the paternity test revealed Neil to be Moses' father. Eventually, Sofia and Neil married so they could raise Moses in a traditional family setting. However, that marriage didn't last long because Neil's heart wasn't in the relationship. Neil ultimately lost out on much of his son's life because Sofia took him across the country to live in New York City (via Soaps In Depth).
Alas, Neil never received a genuine opportunity to bond with his son because of a tragic event seven years after they left town.
Neil dies, and Moses returns to Genoa City
On February 3, 2019, Kristoff St. John tragically passed away at 52 from alcohol-induced heart disease (via Soaps.com). With St. John's character playing such a principal role on the soap, writers at "The Young and the Restless" wrote his death into the storyline. In the fictional world of Genoa City, Neil Winters died from an unexpected stroke in his sleep. As a way of honoring him, many characters from the past and present appeared in tribute scenes. Sophia and Moses returned from NYC to honor the legacy of Neil and his contributions to their lives (via TV Insider).
Two years later, word spread around town that Moses (now a teenager) was returning. Plans called for him to stay with his adopted brother Devon, so he could focus on shadowing his uncle Nate Hastings' (Sean Dominic) medical career. While following Nate at the hospital, Moses encountered a severely injured Faith Newman (Reylynn Caster), and they quickly hit it off. Fortunately for both kids, meeting each other was what they needed at the time. In a show that generally focuses on the older cast, young love was blossoming (via Soaps In Depth).
Moses switches career paths as he and Faith get closer
Moses was there for Faith at her lowest point following her vehicle accident. She faced issues with alcohol, school bullies, and the trauma of needing a new kidney. It was a lot for someone her age to tackle, but Moses served as a necessary distraction to guide her through it. Moses protected Faith from the incessant bullies at school once she returned, and they got much closer, and romantic feelings developed. However, the longer he remained in Genoa City, the more he questioned his original plans for the future (via Soaps In Depth).
Initially, Moses wanted to follow in the footsteps of his cousin Nate and pursue the medical field. Although, the more he became acquainted with that life, the more he realized it wasn't for him. Being a doctor wasn't in the cards for him. However, he still wanted to follow in the footsteps of someone in his family. Instead of the medical field, he set his sights on becoming a media mogul like his brother Devon. His mother accepted his decision, and recently, he's been working alongside Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) on his new podcast venture (via Soap Central).