Melody Thomas Scott Wed 3 Times Yet Considers the Last One Her 'Only Marriage' — It Made Her Feel like a Teen

Like her character Nikki Newman in "The Young and the Restless," it took several tries for Melody Thomas to find her one true love. Though married twice before meeting her knight in shining armor, she does not acknowledge her failed unions. Today, she is happily married to her husband of 37 years.

Melody Thomas is recognized worldwide for her captivating role as Nikki Newman in the long-running soap opera "The Young and the Restless." Initially from the wrong side of the tracks, Nikki fought her way up to become one of the show's most luminous and resourceful heroines.

While she was lucky to escape the "bad" life, she was not so fortunate in matters of the heart. Nikki was married 11 times during the show, four of which were to Victor Newman. The two also had two children.

Thomas' real-life story is equally fascinating. By the close of the 70s, the actress had been married twice, with her unions ending after six months. One of her husbands remains anonymous, but her second was Michael Altman, who she married in January 1979 and divorced in June the same year.

After her second marriage failed, Thomas found love with her make-up artist, Carlos Yaeggy, who she met on the set of "The Young and the Restless." They tried keeping their relationship a secret at first, but in the early 80s, Thomas found out she was pregnant.

The two had been careful to avoid getting pregnant, and the "Freezerburn" actress would later disclose they were on three different types of contraceptives. However, fate had a way of superseding things. "The Story of Soaps" actress would admit:

"For this pregnancy, I was absolutely thrilled — though I'd be lying if I didn't admit how big of a shock it was."

The pair was ecstatic to welcome their baby girl Alexandra Danielle. Unfortunately, they soon discovered a romantic relationship was not ideal for them, and they chose to remain friends. Thomas admits they shared a wonderful friendship, and Yaeggy was a tremendously loving and hands-on father to their daughter.

THOMAS FINALLY FOUND HER KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR

Shortly after Thomas and Yaeggy decided theirs was a better friendship than a romance, Thomas decided to focus on raising her daughter and direct her energy toward her busy shooting and publicity schedule on "The Young and the Restless." Finding love was the last thing on her mind.

However, fate seemed to have other plans in store for her. She soon fell in love with Edward Scott, a producer on the show. Initially, Thomas says she did not care for him, and he also did not seem interested in her. They would often cross each other's paths without as much as a word.

Then, he began joining the show's cast on occasional excursions to Kelbo's. She started seeing him in a different light. He was laid-back, insightful, and funny, off-set contrary to his uptight onset persona.

She admits he wasn't her type and, in comparison, was the complete opposite of Yaeggy. Still, something was captivating about him that caught her eye. Before long, she was thinking:

"Hey, This guy is actually pretty cute. And he has substance."

Their romance hit the ground running, but because they worked together — with her being an actress and him a producer on the same show — they had to keep their relationship secret.

They eventually "came out" to their colleagues after attending a co-star's wedding together and were surprised that their friends received the news of their relationship so well. The lovebirds got married in 1985.

Even though her marriage to Scott is her third try, she is content to treat it as her only and does not acknowledge any other unions before this one. She says:

"In my heart, this is my only marriage."

She believes marriage is the union of two people that love and respect each other enough to be caretakers of the unit they've created. She admits it's sometimes hard but says the secret is prioritizing each other.

THEY STILL FEEL LIKE TEENAGERS

Scott proposed to Thomas over Christmas 1984, and the two married the following year. They found no reason to wait as they were already living together. Marriage just made sense.

As the years progressed, Scott would do things to keep their marriage fresh and exciting, such as planning unbelievable surprise trips.

She remembers how he woke her up once, having planned a surprise trip to Paris, saying: "Get dressed, doll. We have a limo waiting." After decades together, Scott would speak of their union:

The spark is still there. We're like teenagers."

The passing of time has done nothing but bring them closer, and after more than three decades together, Thomas admits that their bond has only grown stronger.

SCOTT AND THOMAS HAVE A BEAUTIFUL BLENDED FAMILY

When the pair met, Scott already had a daughter, Jennifer, from a previous marriage. Thomas also had Alexandra from her relationship with Yaeggy. Thomas says they all got along well, and their blended family fit perfectly.

Scott later adopted Alexandra as his own, and to add to their beautiful family, they also had a daughter, Elizabeth. In an earlier interview, Thomas described Alexandra as a gifted pianist and Elizabeth as a straight A student.

Today, their daughters are all grown with their own families. In May 2011, Jennifer gave birth to twins James and Charlotte, Scott and Thomas' first and second grandchildren, respectively.

Thomas admits to growing up in a hostile environment, but becoming a mother gave her a chance to correct all the wrongs of her childhood. Seeing her daughters grow into beautiful people has been a fulfilling journey for her. She says:

"Now, to watch them grow into beautiful women with their own children, I am so proud and happy."

A stable family and a happy home are one of Thomas' life goals, and she appears to have achieved that. Her marriage remains one of the most admirable and is still flourishing after decades together.