Bold and the Beautiful saw some stunning exits from the CBS soap and why some wildly popular actors left. We have brand new information about an older exit involving Hunter Tylo (who played Taylor Hayes) that’s pretty stunning.

And some new details on several other exits, like the in-and-out of Matthew Atkinson (who plays Thomas Forrester) and Quinn Fuller (Rena Sofer). So much to unpack!  Let’s get into it.

Hunter Tylo’s Controversial Exits as Taylor Hayes: Pregnancy, Personal Tragedy, and Creative Differences

First, let’s talk about Hunter Tylo’s exit as Taylor Hayes. It’s been a while, but this remains a very controversial exit. And she recently shared some brand new information that we think you’ll find interesting. Hunter Tylo dropped some new bombshells about her departure and also about Susan Flannery’s exit as Stephanie Forrester) that we want you to hear.

Hunter Tylo originated the role of Dr. Taylor Hayes back in 1990. Her first departure from Bold and the Beautiful was in 1996 because she landed a juicy prime-time role on Melrose Place. However, production fired Hunter Tylo immediately before she even filmed because they discovered she was pregnant. She sued production and won almost $5 million, returning to Bold and the Beautiful right away.

Tyler’s Second B&B Departure

She left again in 2002 because her infant daughter had a rare eye cancer. And Hunter Tylo needed to be there for her daughter’s treatment. Hunter Tylo walked away again in 2008 because producers wanted her to film a scene with Taylor identifying her dead daughter Phoebe Forrester’s (Formerly MacKenzie Mauzy) body.

Not long before that, Hunter Tylo’s son Mickey, drowned in the family pool while suffering a seizure; he was only 19 years old. While Taylor doing this for storyline reasons is one thing, Hunter Tylo felt the producers were exploiting her personal tragedy for ratings. She told the producers she wouldn’t do it and they could just fire her.

She did return in 2009 but then left in 2013 for creative reasons. After Ronn Moss who played Ridge Forrester and Susan Flannery  who played Stephanie Forrester left. And with Stephanie Forrester’s departure, Hunter Tylo thought Taylor would have more prominence as a Forrester matriarch. However, Brad Bell decided to focus heavily on the Logan family instead, sidelining Taylor.

Hunter Tylo walked away when her contract ended instead of renewing. She was off-screen for half of 2013, worked a little in 2014, stayed gone until 2018. And worked sporadically through 2019 before leaving again. There were just a lot of issues with what they were doing with her character.

Krista Allen’s Stressful Departure as Taylor Hayes: Recasting Chaos and Health Impacts

Brad Bell wanted Hunter Tylo to return in 2021 and threatened to recast her if she didn’t. Hunter Tylo responded, “Okay, do what you got to do.” They brought in Krista Allen to replace her in 2021, which Hunter Tylo was fine with; they actually know each other and share an agent. Four years later, in 2025, Krista Allen revealed she was glad to be done with Bold and the Beautiful.

She called it very stressful due to the nature of soap operas. Also, she stated that production never supported her, put her in distressing situations. And the Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) versus Taylor Hayes rivalry led to people attacking her personally over soap opera storylines in her real life. She said being at B&B negatively impacted her health.

Of course, we had another Taylor Hayes exit. And that was Krista Allen. It feels like this role has some bad juju for recasting, just based on how production seems to treat the character. Krista Allen took over in 2021 after Hunter Tylo stated she would never return. And fans really embraced Krista Allen as the new Taylor. Then, out of nowhere, they fired her.

Another Taylor Hayes Recast on Bold and the Beautiful

What’s wild is there were rumors that Krista Allen had been cut, but CBS denied it, stating she was still under contract. Technically, her contract was still in effect when they made that statement, but they had already decided not to renew it, which Krista Allen later confirmed. So, she left against her will.

Krista Allen believed Taylor was still needed. And then, almost a year later, they abruptly recast Taylor with Rebecca Budig. Krista Allen was told her character wasn’t needed. And then they decided they needed the character and brought someone else in. It was handled badly.

Ronn Moss’ Bizarre Exit as Ridge Forrester: Signs from the Universe

Let’s talk about Ronn Moss’ exit as Ridge Forrester. This is an older departure, but the reasons he revealed for leaving were quite unusual. In 2012, Ronn Moss walked away after playing Ridge Forrester (Ronn Moss) for 25 years. And the real reason he left was bizarre.

Tabloid gossip suggested Ronn Moss left over money. However, he stated he left the role of Ridge Forrester because he was listening to signs from the universe. First, Ronn Moss and his wife had a near-death experience in a very bad car crash.

Second, the clock in his dressing room abruptly stopped running at the exact time of his 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡. He interpreted these as signs to leave the role of Ridge Forrester. When Ronn Moss left in the fall of 2012, they waited a year and then recast him with Thorsten Kaye who still plays Ridge Forrester.

Bold and the Beautiful: Rena Sofer – Ronn MossSusan Flannery’s Departure as Stephanie Forrester: Contract Disputes vs. Retirement

Next, let’s discuss the iconic Susan Flannery and why she left as Stephanie Forrester, and why not all was as it seems. The same year Ronn Moss left, so did Susan Flannery, the original Forrester matriarch. Stephanie was one of the original four cast members. And there’s been much debate about why she departed.

There were rumors that both she and Ronn Moss received unacceptable contract offers. Brad Bell then stated that Susan Flannery came to him and said she was going to retire. Many fans disliked that Stephanie Forrester’s final death moments were with Brooke. Hunter Tylo, however, said that Susan Flannery told her it was a huge contract issue.

She left Bold and the Beautiful unhappy and disappointed, not happily retiring, which was Brad Bell’s version of the story. According to Hunter Tylo, Susan Flannery also said she asked Brad Bell to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 off her character, stating, “They won’t have me anymore.” This is quite interesting.

Winsor Harmon’s Blindsiding Recast as Thorne Forrester: Fan Favorite Ignored

Another huge and controversial exit was Winsor Harmon’s as Thorne Forrester. Reportedly, he was completely blindsided. This is another instance involving Brad Bell. Winsor Harmon stated that Brad Bell told him he had a big, exciting storyline coming for him back in 2016. So, Winsor Harmon was waiting to find out what was next for Thorne Forrester wondering, “Where’s my script?”

Then, out of the blue, they recast the role. Winsor Harmon had zero choice in his sudden exit. While Winsor Harmon was waiting for new scripts, Brad Bell (head writer and showrunner) hired Ingo Rademacher to take over the role. Ingo Rademacher is well-known to soap fans as Jasper Jacks from General Hospital.

Winsor Harmon was very calm about it and congratulated Ingo Rademacher, who of course, had no idea Winsor Harmon had been blindsided. This was all due to production and behind-the-scenes issues. It didn’t work out well, though, because a year later, Ingo Rademacher decided not to renew his contract.

He wasn’t happy with how things were going at The Bold and the Beautiful. Winsor Harmon returned for a few episodes during Eric Forrester’s (John McCook) “not really deadly” cancer crisis and hasn’t been seen since. Fans absolutely loved Winsor Harmon as Thorne Forrester. But Brad Bell doesn’t seem to care what fans want.

Jacob Young’s Departure as Rick Forrester: The Frustration of Limited Screen Time

Now, let’s talk about Jacob Young (who played Rick Forrester) and his exit as Rick Forrester he basically said “forget it” and walked away. This is another departure due to unhappiness with production. It wasn’t about money or drama; it was about a lack of screen time and consistency. Bold and the Beautiful is a 30-minute soap, which translates to only about 15 to 17 minutes of storyline a day.

Jacob Young explained that because there isn’t much screen time, they hyper-focus on just a couple of storylines at a time. He wanted more consistency. He said they would write someone out for a month or several months, or they would only appear in one episode a month.

When B&B ended Rick Forrester’s relationship with Maya Avant (Karla Mosley), he received virtually no screen time. Jacob Young was left waiting for the phone to ring and decided it wasn’t good for him, the character, or the fans. Jacob Young made a brave choice and walked away, staying very busy on other projects since turning his back on the issues at Bold and the Beautiful.

Matthew Atkinson’s Mysterious Disappearance as Thomas Forrester: A Pattern of Neglect?

The situation with Jacob Young reminds us of what we’ve seen with actor Matthew Atkinson. He suddenly disappeared as Thomas Forrester in the middle of a gripping storyline, and CBS and Brad Bell never mentioned it, as if they think fans don’t notice when people leave. He was getting married, settling into married life, and he and his wife were starting a family, leaving everyone wondering, “Is he coming back?”

Matthew Atkinson then returned for just a couple of episodes as Thomas Forrester (Matthew Atkinson), which left fans hanging, and waiting another full year. Now, they’ve brought him back as Thomas Forrester, but fans doubt he’s going to stick around despite being a fan favorite. The reason for this mirrors why Rick Forrester isn’t around, as Jacob Young explained: they hyper-focus on certain storylines, and then actors don’t get work.

Rena Sofer’s Exit as Quinn Fuller: Creative Stagnation and New Opportunities

Now, let’s talk about Rena Sofer’s exit as Quinn Fuller. Rena Sofer debuted in 2013 as Quinn Fuller, a jewelry designer and mom to Bill Spencer’s (Don Diamont) grown son, Wyatt Spencer (Darin Brooks). After nearly a decade in the role, Rena Sofer abruptly left in August 2022. “Wicked Quinn Fuller” was another fan favorite, and she chose to walk away.

Here’s why: when her contract was up for renewal in 2022, Brad Bell essentially told her they didn’t know what to do with Quinn Fuller. This was surprising because she had a great storyline, having cheated with Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor) and fallen in love with him while Eric Forrester (John McCook) was stepping out with Donna Logan (Jennifer Gareis). Then, she was just gone—went to lunch one day, gone.

The soap reportedly asked her to transition to recurring while they “figured it out.” Rena Sofer said she felt she deserved more than sitting around waiting for them to decide. She was absolutely committed to leaving. Brad Bell called her personally, trying to get her to stay, but Rena Sofer’s mind was made up. She decided to focus on her pottery business and take a step back from acting. Then, General Hospital called and had her reprise the role of Lois Cerullo. She jumped at the chance but remains in semi-retirement from acting.

It’s unclear why The Bold and the Beautiful‘s writing team cannot figure out how to write for incredible characters like Quinn Fuller, Thorne Forrester, Thomas Forrester, and Taylor Hayes and instead keeps recycling tired storylines like the Brooke, Ridge, and Taylor love triangle that we have yet again, which has been promised to end forever. We shall see. But that’s why those people really left The Bold and the Beautiful.