‘The Young and the Restless’ veteran gets candid about her character’s weighty drama and adult love story

Last winter, Traci Abbott never imagined she’d be sharing a 2025 New Year’s kiss and sweet romance with a sexy psychiatrist on The Young and the Restless. Things have clearly changed a lot during Traci’s long tenure on the air, and the actress who plays her, Beth Maitland, sat down with Woman’s World to reflect on her character’s 42-year journey from bullied, insecure misfit to confident, bestselling author with a new man in her life.

As a soap opera beauty who doesn’t fit the Hollywood mold, this The Young and the Restless lifer got candid about what makes Traci so important to viewers and reflected on the heyday of making music with Danny Romalotti as well as the heartbreak of losing Colleen.

Plus, as Alan tries to help Sharon get to the bottom of her troubles on The Young and the Restless, some viewers are convinced he’s really his evil twin Martin! So what does Daytime Emmy-winner Maitland make of Traci’s new guy? Read on to find out.

Beth Maitland dishes on Traci’s new romance: ‘It’s a beautiful story to be told’

While Peter Bergman recently told us his character Jack Abbott’s pride comes from being the reigning family patriarch, everyone knows it’s really baby sister Traci who has kept this central Y&R family together.

“As an actor, having people come to you with their problems and being able to give advice and love them anyway is a great thing to play,” says actress Beth Maitland. “Traci’s ability to love her family through anything is like a superpower, so it’s been my pleasure.”

It’s also been what she’s come to expect. While her youth was packed with love triangles, the now mild-mannered writer hasn’t seen much romance since her wild flirtation with hunky Cane back in 2019.

“Traci thought that ship had sailed,” Maitland says. “She thought that she was happy and satisfied with the life that she’d made for herself, with no romantic other. Then Alan came along. It’s a beautiful story to be told.”

Beth Maitland looks back on 42 years as Traci

While Traci has become the backbone of her family and is now enjoying a mature romance with a new man, she was just a young high school grad when Maitland created the role in 1982—and all the drama the teen got into led the actress to win a Daytime Emmy for Supporting Actress only three years into her run.

Traci battled bulimia and an addiction to diet pills, had an affair with a professor that almost led her to suicide, and kept getting pulled into love triangles with mean girl Lauren Fenmore and her own sister, Ashley.

“The family had a cosmetics company, and here was this little round, plain girl as the youngest child,” Maitland recounts. “She was always in competition with her beautiful older sister who went into the family business, where she didn’t fit. It was so multi-dimensional and sort of tragic . . . but when she found her own way, [it was] revelatory.”

“Our little Traci grew up, and I am so happy I was there for every minute of it,” she continues. “Every time I have a week off, I honestly think I’m out of show business, but I don’t think a year ever went by that I didn’t work. It has been my tremendous honor to play this very unusual character for all of these years.”

Traci’s emotional journey: ‘It was 30 episodes of crying’

While Traci’s battles with bully Lauren would turn actress Tracey Bregman into one of Maitland’s best friends, the character’s ongoing battle with her body image made the actress a touchpoint for many Y&R viewers.

“Seeing someone on television who wasn’t gorgeous, glamorous and perfect and letting them know that it was alright spoke to so many fans,” says Maitland, who was overwhelmed by the response.

“I was 24 and I was not prepared for the responsibility or the outreach from the fans,” she admits. “I got suicide notes from time to time saying, ‘If it wasn’t for you, there’s nobody,’ or ‘You are the only one that understands me.’ And I tried to answer them all. I did personal research on hotlines and places to send people. And there was no internet. This was all mail!”

Another challenging story that touched fans came years later, when Traci lost Colleen.

“Her daughter was brain dead and Traci had to learn all these things about donating her organs and was trying to say goodbye and let go when all she wanted was to be filled with hope,” Maitland recounts. “It was 30 episodes of crying by the time that story ended. It was exhausting, but people still bring it up today.”

Beth Maitland on those Romalotti concerts and Brad Carlton

Amid all the drama, Maitland had a blast singing with Michael Damian’s Danny Romalotti—not to mention Lauren.

“In that ’80s and ’90s period, when soaps were in their heyday, we had massive rock concerts with 100 extras and light shows like you were going to The Palladium, Vegas, or Madison Square Garden,” she raves. “We had masquerade balls with costumes and tremendous creative challenges. Every department got to shine. It was incredible to be a part of that.”

Danny got Traci onstage and was the first to put a ring on her finger. She also shared a long offscreen marriage with Steve Connelly, but Maitland maintains the love of Traci’s life was the man she married twice along the way.

“Brad Carlton, hands down,” she says. “You know, there’s a hilarious competition here [at The Young and the Restless] to figure out how many last names you have, and how many repeat marriages. I’m in there, but Melody Thomas Scott always wins, I think, with Nikki!”

Beth Maitland’s New Years’ resolution for Traci: More romance with Alan . . . or Martin?

Having been a Carlton, a Romalotti and a Connelly, Traci may just be on her way to adding a new last name to her roster—and it’s all thanks to Ashley’s traumatic breakdown. During their trip to uncover what had sent her big sister into a tailspin, Traci bonded with the handsome doctor who was helping Ashley, and an unexpected love bloomed in Paris.

“I think it was meant to be just a little summer thing,” Maitland reveals. “Because things often happen that way in soaps. Ideas hatch, and then stories go places you never expected them to go. It’s one of the fun things about daytime. We’re assured and definite about the path we’re taking, and then there’s a big left turn and it goes down a different road.”

The reveal that Dr. Alan Laurent had an evil twin was one such turn for viewers, and by the time Martin had toppled to his presumed death, Traci’s romance was sealed and then put safely on the backburner.

“It lost a little steam while other stories were being told, which is how soaps work,” Maitland says. “I’m hoping it’ll build back up again, and that we don’t just hear about it off-camera!”

Beth Maitland is hoping Alan isn’t Martin—and not just for Traci’s sake!

As The Young and the Restless fans can’t help but speculate about Alan’s identity and whether Traci’s actually being romanced by a not-so-dead Martin, Maitland admits she’s torn about what she wants for her character. On the one hand, the reveal that the evil twin is the one who survived and won Traci’s heart would be juicy good drama—and what soap star doesn’t crave that?

On the other hand, Traci deserves a win—and so do viewers who can relate to her.

“I feel like I speak for women of a certain age and represent on television normal women across the world—I was going to say America, but everywhere, really,” Maitland says. “And I’m just in love with the good twin, so I’m hoping that’s what we get.”

“I want everything to turn out great for Traci, for a change,” she concludes. “Let the trauma victim for the last 40 years get something good. But this is a soap opera, remember? So we’ll see what happens.”

In the meantime, here’s a look back at Traci’s first 40 years in Genoa City!