The Young And The Restless' Beth Maitland Reveals Her Fantasy Storyline For Traci
Beth Maitland has been a staple on "The Young and the Restless" for decades. She joined the soap in 1982 as one of the iconic Abbott siblings and quickly became a fan favorite. Over her 40 years on the show, Maitland's portrayal of Traci Abbott has become a symbol of hope, perseverance, and staying true to oneself. When the character joined the show in 1982 just after college, viewers saw Traci struggle to find her identity outside the shadow of her sister Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson). Feeling that others saw Ashley as more attractive and more successful than her, she struggled with her self-esteem. For a time, she became addicted to diet pills, experienced an eating disorder, and even had thoughts of suicide (via Soaps in Depth). Eventually Traci overcame these experiences, becoming more comfortable with herself and advocating for self-acceptance.
Traci's greatest love was with Brad Carlton (Don Diamont), whom she married twice and had a child with. However, her relationship with Brad didn't last and he even ended up married to her sister Ashley for a few years. Then, tragedy struck in 2009 when her adult daughter Colleen Carlton (Tammin Sursok) drowned just months after Brad suffered the same fate. Traci's grief sent her back to New York where she currently works as an author and periodically returns to Genoa City to play referee for her family whenever they find themselves in a new crisis. Though seemingly content with her own life, Maitland wishes that "Y&R" would add a bit more spice to Traci's.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Traci Abbott deserves a story of her own
Recently, Beth Maitland sat down for an interview with Soaps in which she detailed what she hopes the future holds for Traci Abbott. Ultimately, she said, "I want to see love for Traci." The fan-favorite has been betrayed in all of her past relationships and viewers agree that it's time for this beloved character to get her happy ending.
Maitland recognizes that Traci was and is different than most others that appear on soaps and feels that it's important not to let the rest of her life become obsolete just because she's a certain age or a certain size. She said, "[Traci] was a character who was conflicted, who did not fit, and she found her way. And now that she's older, she is still a nontraditional-looking person for sure, in a soap-star community, but absolutely a real person who has needs, who has desires, who has goals, who has dreams..."
Rather than continue to bring Traci in as a prop to support other characters and their complicated storylines, it's about time that "The Young and the Restless" gave this legendary character a life of her own. As one fan wrote on Twitter, "Traci Abbott certainly should've had a romantic partner by now," and another added, "[Traci] has been nothing but the 'go to' person for sage advice. Let's give her some love. Romantic love."
As Beth Maitland so eloquently told Soaps, "It's never too late, no matter your age or your size. You are beautiful the way you are, the inside and outside, your package and beyond." Here's hoping we get to see that sentiment played out on screen, sooner rather than later.