Stacy Haiduk Reveals Patty Williams' Surprising Transformation on 'The Young and the Restless'

Erin CrabtreeSat, March 7, 2026 at 12:58 AM UTC

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(Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

Stacy Haiduk is already making waves with her return as Patty Williams on The Young and the Restless.

The actress, 57, made her comeback during the Friday, March 6, episode of the CBS soap opera. With Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) stranded on a yacht and suspicious that Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) is to blame for his apparent kidnapping, Jack was surprised to find Patty on board the boat when the episode ended. After all, it’s been nearly a decade since Haiduk’s last appearance as the obsessive character, who was believed to be receiving treatment in a mental health facility following her exit.

Shortly after her return aired on Friday, Haiduk opened up about what fans can expect from her new arc as Patty.

“She’s not going to be the same Patty that we’ve seen before. She’s grown up a bit, as have I. She’s a little bit more together, but you’ve got to keep your eye on her and see what she does,” she told Soap Opera Digest in an interview published on Friday. “Patty has some unfinished business that she needs to take care of and who knows who she’s gonna run into, right? It’s not going to be boring.”

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As for how Patty factors into Jack’s kidnapping storyline, Haiduk teased that she is not working alone.

“Patty is going to bring a little excitement to the party. She gets to walk into town as a new woman—with new power behind her,” she hinted. “I’m really excited to be back, and I hope the fans are ready for Patty to wreak some havoc!”

While some viewers may be surprised to see Patty back on the show, Haiduk revealed that she didn’t expect her return either. She received the invitation in January after wrapping filming on her most recent Days of Our Lives run as Kristen DiMera.

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“I was getting a little depressed because I was like, ‘Oh, I miss it, I want to be working,’ and blah, blah, blah,” she recalled. “But the beauty of it was that two weeks after, [Young and the Restless executive producer and head writer] Josh [Griffith] texted me unexpectedly and was like, ‘Are you available to come back as Patty?’ It was just perfect timing.”

Haiduk’s hiatus from The Young and the Restless has been lengthy, with her last stint ending in November 2016. However, she was always open to the idea of returning.

“Honestly, I had hoped through the years that it would come around again,” she said. “I missed Patty and missed playing her.”

In addition to her personal desire to reprise the role, Haiduk believed her character—who she first began playing in 2009—deserved more from her time on the show.

“I always felt that Patty never got her fair shot,” she explained. “I’m sure she did, but I don’t think she did, stuck in an insane asylum, you know? I’m just happy to be back in Genoa City. I know Patty is so thrilled, and so am I! Bringing her back is delicious is all I can say. It has a deliciousness to it, and I’m really, really looking forward to seeing where that goes for me as an actress and where Patty’s going to take it.”

Haiduk’s comeback also allowed her to reunite with Bergman, 72.

“I remember just walking into the makeup room and he came up and it felt like just yesterday that [we ’d last worked together]. I mean, it felt like I was just there with Peter and all the friendly faces at Y&R,” she recounted. “I just love Peter. He’s fabulous and I’m so excited to work with him again. I love working with him.”

Although becoming Patty again “was a process” for her, Haiduk is more than ready for her character’s next act.

“Getting into wardrobe and them picking the outfits for Patty, and then you go into hair and makeup and all of a sudden, the character starts coming back into your body again, and then running lines with Peter and seeing where that’s going,” she said. “But I know she’s in there; you kind of read it on a page and then it starts coming alive again once all the pieces are together on the set.”

The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS.

This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”