Tonya Lee Williams Declines Return to ‘The Young & The Restless’ for 50th Anniversary

Tonya Lee Williams, known for her role as Olivia Barber Winters on CBS’s “The Young & The Restless,” has said she won’t return for the show’s 50th anniversary special.

In an interview with Soaps.com, Williams explained that playing the role again would require a lot of effort and emotional investment, which she is not ready to commit to after so many years.

Tonya Lee Williams played Olivia from 1990 to 2005 and made brief returns in 2007 and a few appearances between 2008 and 2012. Her character was a favorite among fans and even earned her nominations for significant acting awards in 1996 and 2000.

Tonya Lee Williams compared coming back to the role to reuniting with someone she used to date a long time ago but no longer wishes to be with.

She mentioned, “I don’t want to do it a disservice. I really feel I left Olivia on a high note, and everyone has a great memory. It would stress me out to think of the weeks I would need to shut down the other things I’m doing to focus only on this.”

“It has nothing to do with the show,” she added. “But I try to explain it like this: Have you ever dated someone for a long time and you don’t want to date them anymore? And you have broken up with them and like, 10, 15

While fans might be sad about her decision, Williams still loves the show and cherishes the memories. She feels that moving forward means taking on new challenges, not going back to old roles.