Summer Newman
Summer Newman is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by head writers Lynn Marie Latham and Kay Alden, the role was most recently portrayed by Allison Lanier, from 2022 to 2025. The character was introduced during the episode airing on December 19, 2006, as the daughter of Phyllis Summers and Nicholas Newman, but for one year was believed to be the daughter of Jack Abbott because of Sharon Newman, Nick's former wife, tampering with the paternity test results.
The role was first portrayed by a series of child actors, including Samantha Bailey. In 2012, the character was rapidly aged to a teenager, with actress Lindsay Bushman assuming the role. However, Bushman was let go months into her debut and replaced by Hunter King. Summer was later involved in a cyberbullying plot with Fenmore Baldwin and Jamie Vernon.
Bailey has received critical acclaim for her portrayal, which has garnered her a Young Artist Award. King has also received critical acclaim for her portrayal, which has garnered nominations for a Young Artist Award and two Daytime Emmy Awards. King won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series in 2014 and 2015 for her role as Summer.
Casting
The role was initially portrayed by various sets of twins. They included Elara and Rhea Kerwin from December 29, 2006, to June 20, 2008, Bianca and Chiara D'Ambrosio from July 22 to November 12, 2008, and Sophia and Angelia Hert until 2009. The character was then rapidly aged for the first time, with child actress Samantha Bailey assuming the role on June 9, 2009. Bailey made her final appearance on May 4, 2012. On May 11, 2012, it was announced the Lindsay Bushman had been cast in the role of the teenage Summer. Bushman made her first appearance on June 8, 2012, on a recurring basis. Bushman had a small bit role on General Hospital as a young Kate Howard in a flashback. Bushman revealed that she got the audition thanks to her agent and booked the role after a few callbacks and chemistry reads. With the installation of new executive producer Jill Farren Phelps, rumors began to circulate that a lot of cast members were in danger of being released or replaced.Nelson Branco of TV Guide Canada announced the news of Bushman's departure in his magazine, Soap Opera Uncensored in September 2012. Bushman's tweet in response to her firing hinted that she would be replaced by Hunter King formerly of Hollywood Heights, which was also run by Griffith and Phelps. Bushman expressed her frustrations about being replaced on Twitter, saying: "The Young and the Restless is being invaded by Hollywood Heights", referring to Robert Adamson joining the cast as Kevin Schmidt's replacement. King began taping on September 20, immediately after the announcement about Bushman's departure. King made her debut on a recurring status on October 15, 2012. King revealed that she got a voice mail from executive producer Jill Farren Phelps shortly after getting off a flight. Phelps offered her the role and said she would start working in just two days. King admitted that she felt pressure because she stepped into the role during such a critical storyline but said the encouragement from fans really helped. In March 2013, after six months on a recurring status, King was placed on contract. She stated she was "so excited" and that she had been "waiting and waiting" for a contract because she "loves working with everybody on the show".
On June 3, 2016, Deadline reported that King reverted to recurring status with the soap, due to being upgraded to a series regular on Life in Pieces. King last appeared on December 16, 2016. On May 23, 2018, TVLine announced King's full-time return; her return aired on June 4, 2018.
Due to King's commitment to Life In Pieces, the role was temporarily recast with actress Bayley Corman, who aired from October 1 to 4, 2018.
King temporarily left the show on November 29, 2018, and returned a few months later on January 29, 2019.
In January 2021, a crossover event between The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful was announced involving King’s character along with the B&B characters of Wyatt Spencer and Flo Fulton. King’s appearances on The Bold and the Beautiful were January 18 to 19, 2021.
In July 2021, speculation over King’s status with the show arose. One month later, King, alongside Mealor, made her last appearance on August 6, 2021. King and Mealor would briefly return to the show, making their appearances from October 12 to 15 of the same year. King made subsequent appearances on December 24, 2021, and February 21, 2022. Two months after King's final appearance, it was announced Allison Lanier had been cast in the role of Summer; she made her debut on May 17. Former General Hospital actors Lexi Ainsworth and Kristen Alderson auditioned for the role prior to Lanier's casting.
On April 30, 2025, Lanier announced her exit from the role, citing her decision to "grow in a different direction". Her final episode aired May 2.
Development
Characterization
With the decision to age the character, Summer was described as "fun" and "feisty," and the "typical" teenager. Bushman said that Summer would definitely be a trouble maker much like her mother. Though Summer is definitely like her mom, "she has a bit more morals" like her father and often disapproves when her mother does something wrong. When comparing Summer to her former Hollywood Heights role, Adriana Masters, whom she described as a "mean girl," King explained that there are a lot of factors in Summer's life that lead her to trouble. King described the character as "sweet" but also a little "rebellious." When compared to Adriana, King said Summer is a bit more "softhearted." However, King said that it helped that she was still a teenager herself, and explained that Summer like most teenagers can go "0 to 100 in your range of emotions." According to King, Summer can be very "angsty and stubborn" but also at times, Summers begins to open and shows vulnerability.Teenage years and cyber bullying
In April 2012, it was announced that the role of Summer would be rapidly aged along with Fenmore Baldwin, the son of Michael Baldwin and Lauren Fenmore. The two child characters would be rapidly aged to teenagers. Because of who their parents are, MSN Entertainment stated that Summer and Fenmore's new lives as teenagers would definitely have great story potential. Bushman responded, "You get what you give, right?" referring to Summer's parents, mainly her mother often causing trouble for everyone. Summer reacts to her parents transgressions by acting out including trying to drink vodka with Fenmore. However, according to Bushman, Phyllis's actions push Summer to such extremes. If her life was stable, Summer would not find reasons to act out. Her mother's affair with Ronan Malloy is what justifies actions in her mind. Bushman said that at Summer's age, it is difficult to deal with an unstable family and all Summer's knows how to do is act out to get attention. The recast occurred at the peak of Summer's rebellion storyline which culminates in Summer causing a car accident which leads to her uncle Adam Newman and his wife Chelsea miscarrying their unborn child.In November 2012, Summer was involved in a storyline where she would create a fake online persona, "Brittni" on a social media website to get information from Jamie Vernon, a boy being mentored by Genoa City cop Ronan Malloy who was involved with Phyllis. Speaking on the show's cyber bully plot, head-writer Joshua Griffith stated: "Summer is in such a screwed-up state over the divorce of her parents that she misguidedly decides to hurt Ronan by hurting this kid he cares so much about She uses her phony online persona called 'Brittni' to form a relationship with Jamie and draw information out of him — deeply personal and hurtful stuff about his past troubles with the law — and then she blasts it out to everyone on FacePlace. She'll also be using texting and instant messaging to disparage him further." Simultaneously, Summer starts really getting to know Jamie, and "She realizes he's a kid who's had a really terrible life and that she's doing things to him he doesn't deserve," explained head writer, Josh Griffith in an interview with TV Guide. Summer even uses Fenmore's crush on her to get him to go along with her plan to hurt Ronan by hurting Jamie. But, when Fen becomes aware of Summer's growing soft spot for Jamie, he gets jealous which leads to Jamie attempting suicide. Summer feels sorry for her actions when she realizes that Jamie comes from a broken home just like she does. Summer stops the attacks and tries to support Jamie instead of making matters worse. Summer realizes what she did wrong and King hoped viewers would see that Summer was making progress.
Paternity
In a 2010 interview with TV Guide, Morrow openly discussed his strong belief that Summer was not Nick's child due to the fact that Nick was suffering from amnesia at the time. Though the actor himself questioned Summer's paternity, it seemed nothing would come of his speculation. In October 2012, Bushman hinted that she would not be opposed to a potential romance with Kyle Abbott. In February 2013, King's version of Summer is scripted as being 18 years old, and the character has developed a major crush on Kyle. Nick's immediate disapproval hinted that there was more to his disapproval then just the slight age difference between the two characters. Because Nick is the only person to see the test results, many viewers have begun to speculate that Jack could indeed be Summer's biological father. Summer's crush on Kyle reminds them of the possibility that they could be brother and sister. With the installation of Josh Griffith as head writer, in addition to Nick's adamant disapproval of Summer's crush on Kyle, Jack even brings up the night he helped deliver Summer in the elevator. According to Griffith, Nick is so protective because he knows about Jack's playboy history during his younger years. He stated: "Nick's worried that Summer is going to get involved with someone who could break her heart." Despite Griffith's explanation, King herself questioned Summer's paternity; "I ask Josh everyday, 'Whose daughter am I?" Though Griffith does not confirm or deny anything, he explained that anything is possible.In May 2013, Nick takes a look at the paternity test results from 2006, this time showing viewers that the results were inconclusive. The storyline coincides with the memorial of the death of Nick's daughter, Cassie Newman, and he visits her grave and admits that he is terrified about losing another daughter. Joshua Morrow admitted in an interview with TV Guide that the writers make it clear that Nick did not intend to do anything wrong. He stated that Nick "refused to do another test". Morrow admits that Nick may have never thought about the possibility of Jack being Summer's father again had Summer not fallen so hard for Kyle to point where she admits that she would like to lose her virginity to him. He said that "people don't know what to think" of Nick's "threatening Kyle" and reasons to "ground Summer". On May 27, 2013, Morrow did an interview TV Buzz which confirmed that Summer is indeed Jack's daughter, and according to the actor, Nick is terrified of Summer's reaction. However, months later it was revealed that the paternity test results were actually switched by Nick's ex-wife Sharon Newman, while she was off her bipolar medication, in a ploy to win Nick back, meaning that he is in fact Summer's biological father after all. Sharon's secret was yet to be revealed. Speaking of the forthcoming reveal, King stated, "I'm very curious as to how they're going to play it out with Summer. I'm sure she's still going to have the close bond that she now has with Jack."