The Young and the Restless star Daniel Goddard announced some stunning casting news today on his social media.
On Tuesday, Goddard took to Twitter to share a picture of himself in front of the iconic CBS Television City building. In his caption, he shared that he’s no longer on Y&R . The actor, who portrays Cane Ashby on the show, revealed that he’s both “shocked” and “gutted” about the situation. However, he explained that since Cane’s wife, Lily (Christel Khalil), moved away from Genoa City and Neil (Kristoff St. John) passed away earlier this year, there isn’t a storyline for his character anymore.
The news comes as a bit of a surprise considering the storyline that Cane is involved in right now, which features a previously unknown version of Katherine Chancellor’s will. Today, Cane and Jill (Jess Walton) found out that the version that he found in Las Vegas is the original will signed by Katherine. The situation is causing Devon (Bryton James) to have to choose what to do with the fortune he inherited several years ago.
Given that Cane is involved in this front-burner storyline, it is a bit of a surprise that his actor is no longer with the show. It also might mean that the storyline doesn’t end in Cane getting Katherine’s fortune.
It’s with a heavy ?? that I share the news that I will no longer be part of the cast of the Young & the Restless. I’m as shocked & gutted as u r. I’m forever grateful for my 13yrs in the Y&R family but sadly it seems that without Neil & Lily… there just is no Cane. ? #yr pic.twitter.com/YwA0mmIC6u
— Daniel Goddard (@DanielGoddard) October 22, 2019
Goddard, an Australian actor, has been on the show for the past 13 years. He originally came in as Phillip Chancellor III, but later, his background was rewritten, and it came out that Cane impersonated Phillip at the latter’s request. Ultimately, details came out that Cane is the child of Colin (Tristan Rogers) and Genevieve Atkinson (Genie Francis). However, Jill also treats him as a son since, for several years, she thought he was Phillip, and Jill was also married to Colin for several years, making her Cane’s stepmother.
This departure marks the second time that Goddard was let go by Y&R . In 2011, Cane was shot on screen. However, viewer outcry led to a storyline rewrite, and it turned out Cane’s twin brother, Caleb, was the one who died, allowing Goddard to return to the soap.
In 2017, Cane and Lily’s twins, Charlie (Noah Alexander Gerry) and Mattie (Lexie Stevenson) were aged, and this past summer, they graduated high school, and both moved on to college around the same time that Lily chose to move out of Genoa City to work with the prisoners she met during her time in prison for her part in Hilary’s (Mishael Morgan) demise. Since that time, Cane featured in a storyline with Traci (Beth Maitland), and she wrote a book featuring a character based on him. Other than that, Goddard has not appeared often on the show.