Michelle Stafford bids farewell to onscreen daughter Allison Lanier during her final day on Y&R.
Summer has officially bid farewell to The Young and the Restless. Allison Lanier, who’s been playing the role for the past three years, made her final appearance on May 2nd. Lanier’s exit was a sad moment for everyone, including her onscreen mom, Michelle Stafford.
Goodbye Summer
Last week, Lanier shocked the soap world by announcing her exit from Y&R. The actress took over the role of Summer in 2022, replacing Hunter King. Although she had big shoes to fill, she won over the audience, who loved her version of Summer.
However, on Friday, May 2nd, fans watched Lanier’s final appearance in which Summer departed for Italy. It was a bittersweet moment as Summer said goodbye to her family before leaving Genoa City.
Following Lanier’s final episode, her co-star and onscreen mother, Stafford, posted a sweet tribute on Instagram. Stafford shared a series of photos of her and Lanier behind the scenes and as their characters, Summer and Phyllis.
“This Girl! What can I say about you? You walked into this role and immediately made it your own,” Stafford wrote. “The only unfortunate thing is most of the time and in particular during the first year and a half, our characters were at odds. Lots of fighting on screen…But man, you jumped in and killed EVERY SINGLE DAY.”
Stafford went on to say, “You are an extraordinary actress. What a pleasure for me to work with you. Truly a pleasure. You are a CONSUMMATE professional. I have no doubt we will be seeing you on the screen sooner than later. I completely believe in you. Thank you for inhabiting the character so thoroughly. I truly felt like I had a real daughter in you. Go out there and soar, you gorgeous girl. I absolutely 100% know you will. Thank you for the pleasure [Allison Lanier].”
Stafford’s tribute was touching, and there’s no doubt Lanier has a bright future ahead of her.