Table of contents for December 16, 2019 in ABC Soaps In Depth

The In Depth Story: By tracking down the codicil to his grandfather’s will (which would disinherit any of Mikkos’ children born out of wedlock), Nikolas is hoping to reclaim the Cassadine family fortune from Uncle Valentin. But if the codicil was written in Greece — like the updated will which designated Valentin as Mikkos’ rightful heir to begin with — would it even be valid in New York? “It doesn’t matter that it’s a Greek will,” explains attorney Keren G. Birnbaum, who practices in trust and estate planning and administration. “A will is valid in New York state as long as it follows the basic requirements for will execution in New York.” Valentin could have grounds to contest the codicil! So just as the will Valentin brought over with him…

Billy Miller’s Back On Screen! Catch Billy Miller (ex-Drew, GH) in the Apple TV+ limited series TRUTH BE TOLD, debuting Friday, December 6. The crime drama stars Octavia Spencer as a podcaster who, years after she’d helped put away a killer, reopens the case when doubts arise. Miller recurs as the son-in-law of the alleged murder victim. Primetime Updates Rick Hearst (ex-Ric, GH) plays a lawyer in this week’s episode of the juicy OWN primetime drama AMBITIONS, airing Tuesday, December 4, at 10 p.m. EST. Meanwhile, Anthony Montgomery (Andre) flew to Hawaii to tape his Friday, December 13, guest spot on MAGNUM, P.I. He’ll play a CIA agent who helps Magnum out on an undercover mission. “I’m so grateful for the memories,” he Instagrammed. Tune in at 9 p.m. EST…

With coverage of the impeachment hearings continuing to disrupt regularly-scheduled broadcasts — and all four shows either being pre-empted or airing reruns on Thursday, November 28, and Friday, November 29 — here’s what to expect from this week’s soaps! What’s going on with the Corinthos clan? Let’s check in with them, shall we? Carly has made plans but finds that they’re cut short, presumably by circumstances beyond her control. Sonny, meanwhile, finds time to offer some words of comfort and reassurance to Kristina. When someone’s in need of help, perennial good guy Michael is there to provide it. (Here’s hoping he doesn’t find out the hard way what they mean when they talk about no good deed going unpunished!) Finally, Sonny is able to put himself in someone else’s shoes…

After questioning Sally’s true intentions, Wyatt makes a declaration about his romantic future. Ridge and Steffy take Thomas to task for giving Hope joint custody of his son. Later, he gets into a verbal spat with Liam, prompting the designer to up his game in obtaining his heart’s true desire. With divorce papers in hand, Ridge approaches Brooke and makes a passionate plea to try to salvage their marriage. Clearly not on the same page, Brooke tells Ridge exactly what it will take to win her back!…

Dawn Of Day: Shiloh’s cult bore a striking resemblance to the infamous NXIVM — which saw its leader found guilty of sex trafficking and other charges in 2019. Donna’s diagnosis: Annually, 1,645 babies are born with spina bifida. This year, Carly and Sonny’s daughter was one of them. Insurance woes: Many Americans could relate to Jordan, who survived a car accident and kidney transplant… only to be saddled with gargantuan medical expenses that her healthcare plan didn’t cover. Bobbie’s health crisis: After passing out, the nurse was shocked to realize that she had missed the symptoms of type-2 diabetes — which affects more than 30 million Americans.…

You, dear reader, might be the only person who didn’t find yourself named CEO of Jabot over the past 12 months. Every time we turned around, someone new was sitting in the chair! Jack, Billy, Ashley, Phyllis… heck, for a while Billy and Kyle were sharing the seat! Frankly, we found it amazing that the constant behind-the-scenes drama didn’t cause the company’s stock to plunge, making it ripe for a takeover. After all, it’s been a while since Victor last made a play for Newman’s biggest local rival!…

Reunited, And It Felt So Good ▪ Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) had a blast catching up with viewers at this summer’s GENERAL HOSPITAL Fan Club Weekend. “I’d done 17 of them consecutively, but then I think I missed the past five years,” the actress says. “This year, I felt I wanted to reconnect with the fans. I hadn’t seen them in quite some time, because I don’t do a whole lot of social media. I’m not on Instagram, and I’m only on Twitter every now and then. So I felt like I just wanted to reach out and hear what they have to say.” And after it was over, the GH vet was glad she’d gone with her gut. “It was wonderful,” Herbst raves of the weekend’s Main Event. “Everybody was…

As if Brooks didn’t have enough things to deal with in the days leading up to Everleigh’s birth, he was fielding phone calls from Thorsten Kaye (Ridge) and Don Diamont (Bill), who were eager for updates! “They were texting like, ‘Do we have our baby yet? Do we have our baby?’” Brooke recalls. The actor told on-screen pop Diamont (who is father to six boys) to cool his jets. “I was like, ‘This is my baby girl. You already have 19 boys, you don’t get a girl,’” he teases. To Kaye, he responded, “‘Your baby? Okay, well, maybe it is, but she doesn’t have a raspy voice, so I think we’re okay.’” Kidding aside, Brooks says that his castmates couldn’t have been more supportive and enthusiastic about this milestone in…

The In Depth Story: Aside from a brief blip early on in their relationship, Molly and T.J. have only had eyes for each other since they started dating in secret as high schoolers almost eight years ago. Now, the aspiring doctor wants to pop the question… but should these young adults sew some wild oats before settling down? “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with marrying your first love and spending the rest of your life with the person that you have already spent a lot of your life with,” insists Molly’s portrayer, Haley Pullos. “It just takes a lot of commitment — which they clearly seem to have to each other.” “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with marrying your first love.” When T.J. initially asked for his mother’s…

The In Depth Story: Taking to Instagram, the actor again expressed his gratitude to viewers for their support. “I still can’t believe it,” he wrote, including a broken-heart emoji. “I loved that show with every ounce of my being. Thank you to each and every fan who has reached out to me and shared their love, support and disbelief. I love you all like family.” The actor’s moving post also included a shout-out to his colleagues on the soap: “And to all the cast and crew from Y&R who have called and texted their support,” he concluded, “you are so very loved.” As Goddard revealed in October, he was “shocked and gutted” that he’d been let go from Y&R after 13 years of playing Cane. At press time, the actor’s…

PSST! Now that GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Brook Lynn has returned to town — with former ONE LIFE TO LIVE bad girl Amanda Setton (Kimberly) taking over the role — we can’t help but wonder with which of Port Charles’ most eligible bachelors the troublemaker might be paired! Who might Brook Lynn hook up with this go-round? Well, how about… Nikolas: With both of them back in town, there is always the possibility that they may pick up where they left off. Dustin: Sure, he’s dating Lulu, but we know nothing about Teach’s past. Dustin and Brook Lynn could share one! Julian: Sparks flew between the two at Charlie’s, even though he thought Brook was a hooker. (Ouch!) The In Depth Story: Wally Kurth (Ned) tells Soaps In Depth that he was…

FYI Keeping Up: The Emmy winner posts on Instagram @tamarabraun. Did You See Her? Last March, Braun appeared on ABC’s THE ROOKIE as the love of a deceased correctional officer to whom Officer Nolan (Nathan Fillion, ex-Joey, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) delivered a message. On Her To-Do List: “I’ve not gone to [see the lights at] Descanso Gardens, but I’m going to this Christmas, without a doubt,” Braun shares of the Southern California attraction. Gal Pals: Braun remains close with Natalia Livingston Aldag (ex-Emily/Rebecca) and Cynthia Preston (ex-Faith), both of whom she met while playing GH’s Carly. After being released from her contract with GENERAL HOSPITAL, Tamara Braun spoke candidly with Soaps In Depth about the departure of her character, Dr. Kim Nero. “I was told weeks before that I…

BIRTHS Ricky Martin (ex-Miguel, GENERAL HOSPITAL) and husband Jwan Yosef; daughter Lucia (December 24, 2018) and son Renn (October 2019) Farah Fath (Gigi, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) and husband Phil Galfond; son Spencer Keith (December 31, 2018) Tammin Sursok (ex-Colleen, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) and husband Sean McEwen; daughter Lennon Bleu (January 17) Julie Berman (ex-Lulu, GH) and husband Michael Grady; son Asher Dean (February 18) Jaqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL) and husband Elan Ruspoli; son Rise Harlen (March 4) Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) and husband Jason Wayne; adopted son Kayden (June 10) Paul Leyden (Simon, AS THE WORLD TURNS) and wife Alexia Barlier; daughter Raphaëlle Anaïs (June 7) Denise Vasi (Randi, ALL MY CHILDREN) and husband Anthony Mandler; son Dries Layne…

FYI Instagram Handle: @marcuscoloma. Learning Curve: “I’m so bad at social media!” Coloma admits — but he’s working on it. Sights Unseen: The GH newcomer reveals that, over the past few years, “I shot a couple of pilots… that aren’t going to air.” Pop Musing: This father of a 10-year-old daughter admits that Nikolas’ time away from Spencer “resonates” with him. Shhh… Much like GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Nikolas, Marcus Coloma spent his first days in Port Charles in hiding. “A lot of the cast didn’t know who I was, so I was kind of sneaking around the dressing rooms and hair and makeup” departments, he tells Soaps In Depth. “People glanced at me but didn’t really know who I was. Then, slowly, as the weeks rolled out, there were rumors about…

FYI Birthday: February 26. Must-See TV: “I’m watching THE BOYS right now on Amazon,” Rikaart shares. Word Banning: The actor says that his least favorite word these days is no — since it’s being used a whole lot by his 3-year-old son, Monte. “I try to talk around or distract him from saying that word!” What Success Means To Him: “I would define success as being a feeling of contentment and satisfaction.” Book Mark: Rikaart says that he recently finished reading The Testaments, Margaret Atwood’s sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. When THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Greg Rikaart landed the role of Kevin more than a decade and a half ago, no one thought that he’d be around for long — least of all the actor himself. After all, his…

If the title of his Sunday, December 8, Passionflix movie, Dirty Sexy Saint, is any indication, David A. Gregory (Ford, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) is gonna be smokin’-hot in it! Based on the 2016 novel, the flick is about the soap grad’s Clay Kincaid, a kind but emotionally damaged Chicago bar owner who avoids dealing with his difficult past by indulging in rough sex — but only with a willing partner. As the leading man puts it: “It’s as if George Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Life was in Fifty Shades Of Grey.” Made For Each Other In Dirty Sexy Saint, a woman named Samantha (Jordan Lane Price, Celia from Prospect Park’s ALL MY CHILDREN) wanders into Clay’s bar, upset about being cut off financially by her parents for refusing…

the day after DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Jennifer woke up to find that she’d been in a coma for an entire year, the lucky fans attending the annual Day Of DAYS event got the scoop on what would happen next! Apparently caught up in the excitement of the time jump unfolding on screen, one of the announcers accidentally cheered that the show was celebrating its 55th anniversary when, in reality, it’s marking its 54th. Of course, the hundreds of fans gathered at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles were happy to be there no matter the occasion! Whether they were giving executive producer Ken Corday a standing ovation or cheering the news that Stephen Nichols’ Patch would soon be back on the show, a good time was had by all. And…

Fancy Kicks! Emma Samms (ex-Holly, GENERAL HOSPITAL) scored a win with the unique velvet jacket and eye-catching boots. A Stylish Slant The cross-neck halter on this green silk dress worn by Lisa LoCicero (Olivia, GH) grabbed a whole lotta votes!…

Laura And Scotty’s happily ever after only lasted as long as it took for the bride to fall in love with antihero Luke, her boss at the Campus Disco. Georgie And Dillon wed when he was dying of encephalitis (spoiler: he lived). But his affair with stepsis Lulu led to the teens’ split a few months later. Kristina And Trey married for a MOB PRINCESS ratings boost. The bride (then Lindsey Morgan) later demanded an annulment upon learning that she was actually Trey’s mark — their fathers were longtime rivals!…

DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Eric is overjoyed that he is the father of Sarah’s baby, but he can’t help feeling betrayed that Nicole knew — and helped his ex keep the secret! This week, Nicole tries to make Eric understand that after all they’d been through, she feared losing him to the new family he’d created with Sarah. Rather, she only wanted him to have what they’d yearned for: a family of their own! While Eric is more than willing to be Holly’s dad, it’s not the same as having a biological child in Mickey. “There’s a lot of anticipation and excitement,” says portrayer Greg Vaughan. “It’s everything he’s waited and hoped for.” But what will co-parenting with his ex mean? Eric is willing to pursue an amicable custody agreement,…

“I’d been taking photos at Travel Town [a railroad museum in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park], and I saw that this fledgling had fallen out of a nest,” Braun shares. “I was like, ‘I’ve got to deal with this.’” As it turned out, there was another baby bird in peril, too, so Braun decided to place the nest in an old shoebox from her car. With the help of a staffer, she shares, “we got a ladder and nailed the box up so the birds could be safe.” A few days later, the concerned star received a welcome update from a Travel Town employee with a familiar name. “When my phone rang, [the caller ID] said, ‘Michael Jackson, Burbank’ — and wasn’t he buried in Burbank?” Braun recalls with a laugh.…

Haley Pullos (Molly) “I really enjoyed being a part of the cult storyline. I found it to be pretty true — in an exaggerated way! Especially out here in L.A., it’s pretty interesting to see how people really do get sucked into things like that. I thought it was fascinating, and I think Molly was the first person to actually call Dawn Of Day a cult — which I loved! She’s so straight up. She was like, ‘Dude, come on, what are you doing?’” William Lipton (Cameron) “This past year has had a lot of really great scenes that I truly enjoyed taping. Some that stood out are the Nurses Ball and the kidnapping scenes.” Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie) “My favorite scene to tape this year was Scotty’s proposal to Bobbie.…

While some daytime newcomers have trouble with the infamous pace of soaps, Coloma is loving it. “One of the things I hated about movies and primetime was that wait,” he says. “There’s nothing quite like sitting in the trailer for eight hours so you can shoot a scene at 1 a.m. This is so great, because the amount of stuff you get to do in this world is exciting and intense. And for an actor, this is the stuff that’s just the most fun to do! It’s a whole new game, and I had no idea it would be so much fun.”…

Rikaart has gained a reputation for his skill at tickling the audience’s funny bone with Kevin’s antics. While he won a Daytime Emmy for his dramatic ability, he admits that if he had to choose between one or the other, he might just choose comedy! “It’s actually harder to do, and that makes it more challenging,” he shares. “There’s a rhythm and a technicality to comedy that makes it harder to do. Just saying a line out of certain cadence can sort of ruin the joke. Of course, I’m married to a comedy writer [Robert Sudduth], so that probably influences me! But I always say that if I am doing [drama or comedy] for a period of time, I start to get hungry to do the other!”…

YIFYIFYI Everleigh’s Birthday: September 22. Stats: She weighed 9 lbs., 1 oz., and measured 21.5 inches long at birth. Shine Bright: In the delivery room, the Brookses had Rihanna’s “Diamonds” playing on repeat! Cool Ride: Everleigh’s stroller was a gift from B&B executive producer and head-writer Bradley Bell! Sleepless nights are the new normal for THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Darin Brooks (Wyatt). As is coffee. And diapers. So many diapers. While he fills us in on his new daughter, Everleigh Jolie, during a phone interview, her intermittent squawks in the background can be heard. “She’s actually a really good baby, even though she’s a little cranky right now,” explains the actor, adding that he and his missus, Kelly Kruger (ex-Eva; ex-Mac, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS), are settling in…

Roger Howarth has blown us away since GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Franco became Drew. And as “Frew” tried to digest the fact that Franco was the hero of Drew’s story, his portrayer’s introspective performance earned him a Gold Star. Finding Frew As Frew stared out over the water, we could see how the actor had taken his physical cues for this self-controlled new character from both Steve Burton’s Jason and Billy Miller’s Drew — who in theory share DNA. But when Frew looked at Jason, we saw something we hadn’t yet seen in him: doubt! “Turns out,” the proud Navy SEAL admitted, “the only reason I could grow up to be a hero was because Franco already was one.” Sitting still with his hands clasped, Frew then shared with Jason the story…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL To Hope and Brooke’s shock, Thomas returned, very much alive, and busted them for their lies regarding his whereabouts. The deception proved too much for Ridge, who told his wife they were finished. Though Shauna was eager to fill the void in his heart, Ridge asked her for time and patience while he sorted through his feelings. Shauna completely understood, but showed her support for Ridge with a kiss. Quinn witnessed the smooch and later gave her pal her seal of approval. Bill and Liam grilled Wyatt about why he had yet to purchase an engagement ring for Sally. Later, to cover for a faux pas she’d made, Sally suggested that she and Wyatt elope. Ridge and Steffy confronted Thomas about the stunt he’d pulled…