Who is Daniel on The Young and the Restless? That’s the question some Y&R viewers are asking after Lily (Christel Khalil) had a little reunion with Daniel (Michael Graziadei) at Society.
Michael recently teased his return, which included Daniel surprising his mother, Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), for a Thanksgiving visit.
While die-hard viewers know full well who Daniel Romalotti Jr. is, new fans might be a little confused about the character.
Phyllis tried to pass Daniel off as the son of her then-husband Danny Romalotti (Michael Damon), but it was soon revealed that Brian Hamilton (Steven Curp) was his father.
Danny adopted Daniel and gained custody after learning the truth and moved them to Europe.
Daniel returned to Genoa City as an angsty teen with a vendetta against his absentee mother.
Who is Daniel Romalotti on The Young and the Restless?
When teen Daniel came back to town in 2003, he learned what really happened in his childhood and began to make amends with Phyllis.
He befriended Kevin (Greg Rikaart), who was trying to rebuild his bad rep. The duo set it up so that Lily would need rescuing, which Kevin did even though the guy nearly raped Lily. Phyllis was livid upon learning what Kevin and Daniel did.
However, things only got worse for Daniel when he was too drunk to drive home one night, so inexperienced driver Cassie (Camryn Grimes) got behind the wheel. The car crashed, resulting in Cassie dying from her injuries and Daniel having amnesia.
Lily and Daniel fell in love during his amnesia time. When the truth about the accident came out, Daniel and Lily ran away, but their parents eventually found them, and Lily was sent to boarding school.
Later, when Lily returned, the duo eloped in Vegas. The marriage was short-lived as Daniel became addicted to porn with a little help from Amber (Adrienne Frantz).
Daniel went on to have a real relationship with Amber before he was drugged by Daisy (Callahan Yvonne Zima), who was obsessed with him. Daisy ended up pregnant with his baby but ran away after the baby was born.
When Billy (then Billy Miller) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) adopted a baby, Daniel realized it was his and Daisy’s daughter. At Phyllis’ urging, Daniel didn’t sign away his rights. Instead, he proposed to Daisy to keep him and baby Lucy safe.
The marriage again was short-lived because Daisy teamed up with Ricky Williams (Peter Porte) for revenge. Daniel eventually secured Lucy’s safety after Daisy was supposedly put in a mental institution.
After reconnecting with Heather Stevens (Jennifer Landon), Daniel, Heather, and Lucy move to Savannah. The last time Y&R fans saw Daniel on-screen was in 2016 when he made a brief return for Summer (then-Hunter King) and Luca’s (Miles Gaston Villanueva) engagement party.
How long will Daniel be back on Y&R?
The news Michael was bringing back to the hit CBS soap opera broke earlier this fall as part of The Young and the Restless 50th Anniversary celebration.
Details about his stint are being kept under wraps, but it does look like Daniel will be sticking around, at least through the holidays. It has been reported that it will be a family reunion of sorts for Christmas, as Michael Damon will be back as Daniel’s adoptive father, Danny.
While all that sounds good, The Young and the Restless viewers shouldn’t expect Daniel or Danny to stick around for the long haul. However long they are on the canvas, they will no doubt be quite entertaining and nostalgic for viewers.
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS.