“The Young and the Restless” star Justin Hartley confirmed on Friday that he is leaving the CBS soap after two years.
In a note posted to his Facebook page on Friday, the actor thanked viewers of the show for being “the most loyal and dedicated fans I’ve ever encountered.”
“You are truly the heart of the show,” he wrote. “It simply does not work without you. I wanted to thank you for that. Thank you for tuning in; thank you for letting me entertain you; thanks for entertaining me, and thank you for caring.”
Hartley’s character, Adam Newman, was killed off the CBS drama in a dramatic explosion in Thursday’s episode.
The “Revenge” alum stepped into the role following Michael Muhney’s departure in 2014 and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination earlier this year for his performance. “People are going to have their opinions, which I think is great — I welcome it and I love it,” Hartley said of “The Young and the Restless” fans, in an interview with TheWrap following the announcement of his casting.
Hartley’s departure comes two weeks ahead of the premiere of the actor’s next show, NBC’s “This Is Us.”
From executive producer Dan Fogelman, “This Is Us” stars Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia and Sterling K. Brown as a unique ensemble whose paths cross and life stories intertwine in curious ways. The audience learns that several of them share the same birthday, and so much more than anyone would expect. Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan and Ron Cephas Jones also star.