The Off-Screen Romance Of Young And The Restless' Susan Walters And Linden Ashby

Diane Jenkins and Cameron Kirsten may not have an on-screen romance in "The Young and The Restless," but the actors do in real life. Susan Walters, who plays Diane, and Linden Ashby, who plays Cameron, have been together for quite some time. Soap opera circles run small, and it's not uncommon for actors to start a romantic relationship in real life.

Walters was the first of the two to join "The Young and The Restless" cast in 2001, per CBS. The soap actor was on the show for 3 years before she decided to make her exit in 2004. But Walters couldn't give up Diane Jenkins completely; in 2022, the actor made her triumphant return to the show. As for Ashby, he was only on the show for a year from 2003 to 2004, before he left "The Young and The Restless," per Soaps In Depth. However, Ashby shocked die-hard fans of the soap opera after his comeback in March 2023.

Excitement grew as the potential of a crossover between the couple could happen on-screen. While "The Young and The Restless" fans may want Diane Jenkins and Cameron Kirsten to cross paths in the show, it won't become a storyline. Ashby shared with SoapHub, "It's not a huge interaction this time. [But] yes, I do get to work with her [Susan]." Although fans won't see their on-screen characters in a romantic relationship any time soon, they can live vicariously through the couple's real-life romance.

Susan Walters and Linden Ashby went from cousins to partners. Okay, we know that sounds strange, but the two actors weren't real-life cousins but on-screen cousins. According to Soaps, the couple fell in love on the soap opera set, "Loving," in 1983, where Ashby and Walters played each other's extended family.

The couple met several years prior on the same show, but didn't spark their romance until Asbhy was a series regular, per Soap Opera News (via The Linden Ashby Worshiping Page). Walters was smitten with the "Teen Wolf" actor and shared, "I just knew he was the right man for me. I wasn't even looking for romance. Certainly not on a TV show. It was like, bang!" Although it took time for them to admit their feelings, when they did, their chemistry exuded on and off screen.

Walters told Soap Opera News, "It didn't take long for the writers to quit putting us in the same scenes because when we looked at each other, sparks flew ... The network got letters saying my character and Linden's should get together. But we played cousins, so that couldn't work." Since their first meeting in 1983, Walters has remained infatuated with Ashby. In May 2020, the soap actor shared a sweet post of her and her beau with the caption, "Cheers to Linden! Happy Birthday to my husband, friend, quarantine buddy, and puzzling partner. I love you so much!!"

They say when you know you know, and Susan Walters and Linden Ashby definitely knew they were the one for each other. Ashby revealed to News 4 JAX that three months after meeting "The Young and The Restless" star, they tied the knot. For the soap actor, the chances of them meeting and forming a relationship seemed serendipitous. He reflected on the time, sharing, "I'm 24, 25 years old, she's 21 or 22 when we got married. Two actors in New York, I mean, what are the odds that's gonna work out?" While it may have seemed that the odds were stacked against them, Walters and Ashby's love has stood the test of time.

In April 2023, Walters shared a photo of her and Ashby looking happier than ever. She wrote, "37 years (and a day) of dogs and daughters, horses and houses, friends and family, ups and downs... and love. Happy Anniversary to the one I'm so lucky to be living my life with." That's right, the couple has been married for an incredible 37 years! In those years, they have experienced a lot of life together, from welcoming their two daughters and becoming grandparents, to taking on the soap world together. And Walters and Ashby's love story isn't over as they continue to live their lives happily married to one another.