The Tragic Reason Mishael Morgan Made A Controversial Decision About Her Young And The Restless Status

Mishael Morgan, who plays Amanda Sinclair on "The Young and the Restless," made history earlier this year when she became the first black female recipient of the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress, per Deadline. According to Soap Central, Morgan previously played Amanda's twin sister, Hilary Curtis, for five years — from 2013 to 2018 — on the show and returned to play Amanda in 2019. Morgan is no stranger to television, having been on such shows as "The Best Years," "Family Biz," "Republic of Doyle," and "Supernatural" (via IMDb).

When fans started to hear rumblings that Morgan would be leaving the show, she posted a video message on Instagram explaining why they weren't seeing her picture in the opening credits anymore. Morgan stated that she had decided in December 2021 to move from contract to recurring status, feeling the need to "take a step back from the show" to explore other options and "...mix things up a little bit." Assuring fans that it was her decision for the status change, she went on to say that "Y&R" was like a family to her and knows that she can always go back if needed. She also shared her appreciation for the fans "...who have supported me along this 'Y&R' journey."

Morgan recently clarified exactly why she chose to change her status on "The Young and the Restless."

"The Young and the Restless" actress Mishael Morgan recently spoke with the "Dishing with Digest" podcast to discuss her career and explain the reason she dropped to recurring status on "Y&R." The interviewers asked if her status change affected the significance of her Emmy win, to which she replied, "It made me feel like, 'Yeah, this was the right thing to do.' It kind of reminded me that 'Y&R' is always gonna be there." She felt the show gave her a gift that she could "run with" and explore other acting opportunities where she could be "impactful" for viewers stating, "It was the right decision, and everything was aligning to set me up for whatever comes next."

She always knew "Y&R" would be part of her life, saying, "I watched the show my entire life, and I have so much respect for the genre ... It's inspired me ... It's probably the reason why I'm an actress." Although the producers thought she might change her mind, she cited her recent family tragedy – in which several of her family members lost their lives in a fire — as the reason that solidified moving to recurring status. She wanted to give her children more time to get to know their relatives in Toronto and become closer as a family.

While Morgan will be on "Y&R" less, it will always be a safety net for her if she ever decides to return to daytime full-time.