The Young and the Restlessactor Jermaine Rivers has confirmed his exit from the show in an emotional Instagram post. The actor joined the soap opera back in February 2025 as Damian Kane - or rather, as the real Damian Kane. The character had actually been around for weeks prior, but played by Nathan Owens, as Holden, who was pretending to be Damian Kane.
Since then, Damian has been reconnecting with his family, building a relationship with both his mother and his newly-discovered half-brother. It even looked as though there might be a happy ending for Damian, after he fell for Lily. However, happily ever afters are rare in the daytime world, and Damian met his end when a thrown knife stabbed him in the back.
Following the dramatic episode, Rivers posted a video to his social media, confirming that this is the end for Damian:
In the video, Rivers expressed his gratitude for the opportunity:
First off, I gotta say thank you to Josh Griffith for giving me this opportunity to bring Damian Kane to life,” he enthused. “It has been an amazing ride. It’s been an honor to not only be a part of the cast but to bring a character like Damian to life.
He also confirmed that this is definitely the end for Damian - and that he’s known about his character’s upcoming death for some time:
Damian Kane has met an untimely demise. We shot this back in May, and I actually knew about Damian Kane’s… what his fate was before we even went to France… I’m just grateful to have been able to play a role on the show, to be a part of the cast. And no matter how long or how brief it is, at the end of the day, as an actor, that’s my job to come in and play the role that I was cast. And when it’s time to go, it’s time to go. And it’s time to go do something somewhere else.”
What This Means For The Young And The Restless
The Hunt For The Killer Is On
The fallout from Damian’s death is going to be a major plot point forThe Young And The Restlessin coming weeks, as everyone scrambles to find out who the mysterious killer is - and of course, there are plenty of suspects. Cane Ashby is, of course, a contender, but the fact that he was also drugged is going to be a strong point in favor of his innocence.
However, some comments from Vincent Stalba toSoap Opera Digestmay actually hint that his character, Carter, is the one behind it all. He hinted that Carter had plans that no one would see coming:
It’s basically just being an assistant until there’s a much bigger plan that comes into focus. I say very little, but I know everything. Things are about to get very juicy and very exciting, and I think people are going to connect with Carter in a new way, and Carter may have plans of his own. All I’ll say is I will do anything for my boss.
As Cane’s right-hand-man, Carter is perfectly placed to be the killer, and to have drugged Cane to throw everyone off the scent.
Our Take On Damian’s Death
No Death Is Permanent In Soap Operas
River’s post and comments are a seemingly permanent goodbye to the soap, especially as the actor spoke about being involved in multiple upcoming projects:
Right now, there’s a whole lot of stuff that has my name on it. And there are other projects that I’m currently attached to, and I’m physically, mentally getting ready to do something super fun in the sci-fi genre.
At the moment, the actor’s IMDb page shows an upcoming credit on the filmKilling Winston Jones, which isn’t a sci-fi series, so there’s definitely a tease in there for something that hasn’t been announced.
As forThe Young and the Restless, only time will tell who murdered Damian - or if he is really dead, as death is rarely permanent in the soap world!
The Young And The Restless
Cast
The Young and the Restless is a daytime television drama series that explores the intertwined lives and complex relationships of the residents of Genoa City. Premiering in 1973, the serial centers on the influential Newman, Abbott, Baldwin, and Winters families as they navigate love, ambition, and power struggles.
