With Claire Grace dropping a bombshell that shocked the Young and The Restless fandom, people have been wondering- who is Cole Howard?
He was a majorly relevant character in the 1990s and led to the birth of Eve, which ultimately resulted in Claire.
Now, she is wreaking havoc on the Newman family today decades later. But to understand Claire better, Cole needs to be analyzed.
Played by J. Eddie Peck, Cole Howard returned to The Young and The Restless in November 2023 after leaving the show in 1999. His presumed-to-be-dead daughter- Eve/ Claire Grace, dragged him in for a family reunion with her mother, Victoria Newman, after kidnapping Nikki Newman.
Who Is Cole Howard on Y&R?
Cole Howard is played by J. Eddie Peck, and he has returned to The Young and The Restless since he left it in 1999. So, if newer viewers aren’t familiar with him and his significance in the new storyline, it’s not their fault.
Howard has been missing from the screens for decades. He recently reappeared when Claire Grace dragged him in, saying to Victoria:
“Well, he had to be here for the family reunion. Didn’t he, mother?”
This was after she had kidnapped Nikki Newman and left her tied up at an abandoned place. Claire’s words made it clear that Cole is her father and Victoria is her mother. But how did all this happen? That’s a long story.
Once upon a time, Victor Newman (Victoria’s father) had an affair with Eve Howard, his secretary. He believed it resulted in the birth of Cole Howard, their son. Years passed, and Cole came to Genoa City to work as a ranch hand.
Freshly divorced Victoria Newman fell for him. However, in the meantime, Cole had an affair with Nikki. However, later on, he did reciprocate Victoria’s feelings. But when he wrote to his mother, telling her about his girlfriend, she freaked out.
After all, Cole could be falling in love with his half-sister! So, she made arrangements to come to Genoa City. But before she could tell everyone what was going on, she had a stroke and fell into a coma.
That didn’t stop the two lovebirds from eloping and getting married. Soon, they realized they should never have, but only after they had put rings on each other. Thankfully, it was proven through a DNA test that they weren’t half-siblings.
Cole wasn’t even Victor’s son. So he and Victoria were relieved and could finally remarry. But things weren’t smooth sailing for them for much longer as he fell for her former stepmother, Ashley, and left her.
But before that drama happened and he ultimately accepted a teaching position in England, Victoria was pregnant with Cole’s baby when they were married. It was a daughter they had named Eve. However, that baby died due to an infection just days after her birth.
That was what was known for years. Now we know that it was a fakeout.
Eve or Claire Grace is very much alive and terrorizing the Newmans and Cole. How she survived hasn’t been revealed, but fans believe that Aunt Jordan took her away so that she could manipulate her against the Newmans.
After all, Aunt Jordan is as crooked as they come. She also hit Cole on the head with a hammer and poisoned the drinking water of Victor, Victoria, and Nick.
It isn’t certain how long Cole will be in the show. But fans hope he will be there for Claire’s presumed villain-to-hero character arc and reunite with Victoria after ages.
But will there be a new romance between him and Victoria again after he left her unceremoniously?
That will be interesting to see.
The Young and the Restless airs on weekdays on CBS. It will be available to stream later on Paramount Plus.
What do you think of Cole Howard’s return after decades? Do you think he will be a main character for a long time now? Will he get together with Victoria again?
Let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments below.
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