Devon Hamilton
Devon Hamilton is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera, portrayed by Bryton James. The character made his first appearance on June 1, 2004. He was introduced as a homeless teenager who is taken in by the Winters family, the core African-American family within the series. Drucilla Winters sympathizes with Devon because she too was a product of the foster care system. Drucilla and her husband Neil raise Devon along with their daughter Lily and legally adopt him in 2006.
Unlike most young male characters whose stories typically centered around romance and teen angst, the character of Devon became a vehicle for social and human interest stories, focusing on the challenges of having a drug addict for a parent, being a product of the foster care system, and deafness. While Devon has a consistent love interest, the romance was rarely displayed and severely undeveloped. In 2009, the character was involved in a controversial storyline in which he had an affair with Tyra Hamilton, a woman he'd come to know as his aunt, though it was later revealed they are not related. The foster care, meningitis and deaf story arcs received critical acclaim for their social impact and earned James five Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series and James won the award in 2007. James also earned seven NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series and he won the award in 2009.
In 2011, the character would be written into more traditional soap opera plots starting with the revelation that he is the long lost grandson of the wealthy Katherine Chancellor. However, the plot twist would only bring him closer to his adoptive father, Neil. In 2013, Devon inherits the bulk of Katherine's billion dollar estate which turns his life upside. In 2014, Devon enters into an affair with Neil's young wife Hilary Curtis. Devon's forbidden love affair with Hilary would mark the character's first major love story and would also solidify the character as a viable romantic lead. Due to the chemistry between the characters, the pairing of Devon and Hilary quickly amassed a very active fan base and as well as critical acclaim which propelled them to supercouple status. James earned six Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series; he won the award in 2020. In 2025, the character made a crossover appearance on Beyond the Gates, the first in the serial's production.
Storylines
The character is introduced in 2004 as a delinquent living out of group homes. The homeless teenager is fostered and eventually adopted by Drucilla Winters and her husband, Neil. In 2006, Devon contracts meningitis and completely loses his hearing and he receives a cochlear implant to restore his hearing. Later Devon is implicated in the murder of Carmen Mesta. Fortunately his name is cleared when Jana Hawkes admits to the murder. In December 2006, Devon is officially adopted by Neil and Dru but his happiness is short-lived when Dru is presumed dead in April 2007. Later that year, Devon starts dating Lily's friend, Roxanne. In 2008, Devon meets his "aunt" Tyra for the first time and he learns that Tyra's adopted daughter, Ana is actually his biological half-sister, also abandoned by Yolanda.In 2009, Neil and his new wife Karen Taylor make plans to adopt Ana but those chances are destroyed when Neil cheats with Tyra—and Devon witnesses the affair. In May 2009, Devon meets his great-aunt Virginia who reveals that Tyra is adopted and Devon disapproves when she starts dating Neil. However, Devon realizes his disdain for Tyra stems from the fact that he is attracted to her and after she splits with Neil, they end up sleeping together after he berates her for breaking up Neil's marriage. Roxanne finds them together and immediately dumps him while Tyra skips town with Ana. Devon and Roxy reconcile in October 2009.
After he graduates college in 2010, Devon takes a job as a photographer's assistant to support his music career. He lands a gig at Tucker McCall's label Resurrection Music producing with Noah Newman. However, when Noah abandons him for another gig, Devon convinces Tucker to give him another chance which culminates with Tucker firing him. Fortunately, Tucker's estranged mother Katherine Chancellor launches her own label and hires Devon to run it. When Katherine falls into a coma, it is revealed that Tucker is Devon's biological father. Devon rejects Tucker and Katherine as Yolanda, now called Harmony, returns looking to make amends and explain her actions. Ana convinces Devon to forgive Yolanda, and try and connect with his new family. In 2012, Tucker and Harmony convince Devon to get another surgery to improve his hearing. Devon befriends Abby Newman who invests in his label as he produces for Angelina Veneziano. Devon offers her a record contract, but Angelina instead goes to California and Devon closes down his label and joins the marketing team at Jabot Cosmetics. In 2013, Tucker offers Devon a position at his record label but Devon turns it down because it would keep him away from his family and Roxy is furious that Devon considered taking the position without consulting her. Katherine passes away and Devon is shocked when he inherits the bulk of her billion dollar estate. Devon offers a million-dollar reward for Cordelia Abbott's killer and even funds a charity in her name. However, Devon's paranoia about his new found wealth leads to Roxy leaving him. Devon befriends Mason Wilder and the reformed bad girl Hilary Curtis who tips him off about Mason stealing his identity after Devon gets arrested for destroying a hotel room in Las Vegas. Devon also defends Hilary against Lily's attacks.
In 2014, Devon buys the Genoa City Athletic Club, hires Lily and her husband Cane Ashby to run it. After Hilary rejects him, Devon has several flings, including the gold digger model Esmeralda. Despite that, Devon is still attracted to Hilary and is furious to learn she is sleeping with Neil. Devon professes his love for Hilary and kisses Hilary the night before she marries Neil. Hilary rejects him, Devon reluctantly stands in as Neil's best man at the wedding. Devon drowns his sorrows in alcohol, getting Hilary's attention, and she urges him to forget about her. Devon admits his love for her and after several close moments, Devon decides to leave town. Though she doesn't want to hurt Neil, Hilary admits her feelings for Devon and they grow closer after they are stranded on the side of the road over night. Devon later agrees to a date with Abby hoping to get Cane and Lily off his back just as Hilary is ready to make a decision about their future. Hilary finally professes her love for Devon and they agree to tell Neil the truth just as Neil lands in the hospital after being electrocuted and left blind. Because Hilary refuses to leave Neil until he recovers, Devon and Hilary give in to temptation and begin an affair. They are later discovered by Cane who orders them to end it immediately. However, they continue seeing each other in secret only to be caught by Cane's father Colin Atkinson who blackmails Devon into paying him off in exchange for his silence. Colin later demands more money so he can help Jill acquire Chancellor Industries from Victor Newman. Cane neutralizes Colin and Devon gives the money directly to Jill and makes her promise to cut Colin out of the company.
Devon wants to wait for Neil to adjust to the news that his condition isn't treatable, only for Neil to confront them when they are on a plane trip to Chicago looking for office space for Chancellor. The plane later crashes leaving the group stranded in a blizzard and they are eventually rescued. Devon is devastated when Hilary announces that she faked her love for Devon to avenge her mother's death. In March 2015, during a drunken binge, Neil causes a car accident that leads to district attorney Christine Blair and police chief Paul Williams losing their unborn child and to keep Neil out of prison, Devon immediately contacts Leslie to represent him. Devon is shocked when Hilary blackmails ADA Winston Mobley into giving Neil a suspended sentence. Hilary finally comes clean about her schemes and tells Devon she is still in love with him and she only left him so he could salvage a relationship with Neil. Devon and Hilary reunite and announce their engagement shortly after Hilary and Neil's divorce is finalized. Devon and Hilary support Lily when her marriage falls apart after her own affair Joe Clark and she assist them with wedding planning.
At his bachelor party, Devon presumably gets drunk and cheats on Hilary with a prostitute. While he doesn't remember anything, Lily warns a distraught Devon to keep quiet unless he is sure. Neil finally gives his blessing on Devon and Hilary's wedding day they on their honeymoon soon after. When Hilary goes missing, Devon is the prime suspect and he returns to Genoa City to avoid being arrested. Devon is about to be extradited back to Virgin Gorda until Nikki Newman pulls strings to stop the transfer. As Devon awaits news after offering a reward, he tracks down the pilot that transported Hilary from the island who reveals she is in Genoa City. Devon receives a ransom note and someone steals the reward and Cane is implicated. Hilary resurfaces suffering from amnesia and believing she is married to Neil and rejecting Devon. Devon is furious when Neil confesses to rescuing Hilary after accidentally causing her accident; Neil has hired Dr. Simon Neville to help bring her out of the coma. Devon is about to turn Neil in until Hilary talks him out of it. Devon's hopes for reconciliation are dashed when Hilary regains her memories but not her feelings for Devon. Devon rescues Neil from Neville's blackmail attempt by investing in Neville's medical research and Devon puts Neil in charge. Ashley Abbott comes aboard and allows the research project to set up shop in Jabot Cosmetics lab. Hilary also becomes the spokes model for the project to help protect Devon's investment.
In January 2016, Neil tries to orchestrate Devon and Hilary's reunion and Devon is furious to find the duo sleeping together. Devon then serves Hilary with divorce papers and after Neil rejects her, Hilary suddenly changes her mind about loving Devon but he is hesitant to believe her. A drunken Neil causes trouble at a press conference forcing Devon to fire allowing Hilary to take over. Devon is suspicious when Ashley suddenly gives up her position at the research company to Hilary. When Jack and Neil form the Abbott-Winters Foundation to support recovery centers across the country, Hilary convinces Devon to donate $1 million to challenge Ashley. Hilary also fights for a seat on the board of the foundation and Devon convinces Neil not to hire her fearing the trouble she could cause. A furious Hilary announces plans to divorce Devon and take half his fortune but when Hilary ends up in the hospital again, he rushes to her side as Neville administers treatment. Though Neville believes his medicine is working, Hilary collapses in Devon's arms—she is dying. Devon fires Neville and hires another doctor to save his wife. When the victims of the failed drug protocol announce plans to sue, Hilary convinces Devon to settle with them to avoid escalated scandal. Devon, Hilary, Lily and Cane later support Neil when he reconnects with his estranged mother who dies shortly after their reunion.
In September 2016, Devon attempts to bribe the GC Buzz to kill a story about Jack Abbott allegedly abusing his wife Phyllis and it backfires when the tabloid runs a story about Devon bribing the press. To stop the stories' circulation, Devon buys the production company and plans to shut down production until Hilary convinces him to keep it on the air and just change the way they tell stories. Devon goes a step further and decides to make Hilary the lead anchor. However, Hilary becomes obsessed with keeping viewers happy and spiking ratings which clashes with Devon's wishes of telling stories without destroying lives. Devon enlist Hilary's new assistant Mariah Copeland to help keep Hilary on the straight and narrow. Hilary and Mariah clash over how to handle the revelation that her mother Sharon Newman has secretly been raising her ex-husband Nick's presumed dead son. When Hilary edits an interview with Sharon's husband Dylan McAvoy to smear Sharon to get back at Mariah, a furious Devon fires her. Despite a humiliating fall on air, Devon convinces Mariah to serve as a temporary replacement until he can find a permanent host as Hilary refuses to return to the job. Meanwhile, Devon and Hilary reconcile and they move into a new penthouse.
After Lily exposes that Hilary tricked Devon into rehiring her, the couples decides to start over and keep honesty first. During a charity gala, Mariah reveals that Hilary sabotaged her on-air and Devon leaves her and gets into a car accident. While Devon survives, he has short term due to a concussion. Despite filing for divorce, Devon convinces Hilary to co-host GC Buzz with Mariah. He later convinces Hilary to co-host GC Buzz with Mariah. Devon and Hilary divorce in April 2017 though he is obviously jealous of her budding romance with Jordan Wilde. Hilary gains ownership of GC Buzz in the divorce with stipulation that she can't fire anyone for a year, to protect Mariah, whom Devon is now dating. Devon launches the Hamilton-Winters Group with Neil and they acquire Mergeron Enterprises from Dina Mergeron. Devon signs Tessa Porter to his new record label. Meanwhile, Devon's romance with Mariah is plagued by his struggle to move on from Hilary and they ultimately break up in November 2017.
In 2018, Devon cuts Tessa from the label when she steals lyrics from Mariah. Later, Devon buys GC Buzz from Hilary as she needs cash to ensure financial security as she plans for a baby. Devon exposes that Hilary knew Cane had been falsely accused of sexual harassment and soon starts dating his new artist Simone. Devon is about to fire Hilary for missing a GC Buzz taping until he learns she is mentoring the 17-year-old Shauna. Devon agrees to be Hilary's sperm donor and draws up a co-parenting contract. Despite their plans to keep the relationship platonic, Devon and Hilary sleep together and he calls off the arrangement as it complicates his budding romance with Simone. Neil urges Devon to honor his commitment to Hilary, and he breaks up with Simone, he and Hilary go forward with the insemination. While they play matchmaker for Shauna and Devon's nephew Charlie, Devon and Hilary bond over their future and rekindle their romance. Devon invites the pregnant Hilary and Shauna to move in with him. Despite the efforts of Devon's cousin Nate Hastings, Devon is devastated when Hilary dies from injuries sustained in a car accident. He lashes out when he discovers Lily caused the accident after she ran a red light during an argument with Hilary. While Neil blocks Devon's attempts to punish Lily, she turns herself into the police and Devon urges the judge to impose the maximum sentence. Devon has a last minute change of heart and Lily is sentenced to 1 year in prison. Devon forgives Lily after the sentencing and also pays for Shauna's college education in Hilary's name. Devon's mood swings and wild parties lead to Neil luring Ana to town to keep an eye on him. Devon is furious when Cane arranges for Shauna to move to Colorado with her family because she doesn't feel comfortable living with Devon anymore. Devon experiences panic attacks and starts taking anxiety medication when he attends therapy. As Devon's new assistant, Ana convinces Devon to sign Fenmore Baldwin to a record contract. In December 2018, Devon partners with Abby Newman when she wants to launch a new restaurant with Lola Rosales as the chef.