Jill from 'The Young and the Restless' Is Now 'Ageless' & 'Spunky' Widowed Grandma at 74 with Gorgeous Hair

• "The Young and the Restless" is celebrating their 50th year.
• The show's actress, Jess Walton, shared her love story after she lost her beloved husband.
• Despite her loss, Walters is living a good life surrounded by loved ones.

The popular soap opera "The Young and the Restless" celebrated its 50th year on-air on Sunday, March 26. To mark the occasion, the show's stars all reflected on their time portraying their various characters and opened up about the impact the show has had on their own lives.

Jess Walters is one of the actors who pitched in, talking about her work on the long-running daytime drama and revealing aspects of her personal life. The loss of her husband affected Walters adversely, however, she's thankful for the loved ones who supported her through the ordeal and stuck with her.

These days, Walters has made a life for herself despite her husband's absence, and she is enjoying the family she has gathered over the years. She shared images from her private life, showing how she spends her time off-set and sharing how her family celebrates holidays with avid fans.

"The Young and the Restless" Celebrates 50 Years On-Air

After five decades on-air, "The Young and the Restless" has consistently maintained a position as one of CBS's top dramas. In the spirit of this notable milestone, the cast of the show spoke about the years they've put into making it a success.

In 2021, Walters also opened up about her personal life after her husband of 40 years, John James, passed away.

The interviews were added together in a short featurette that highlighted how influential the TV show has been over the years. The actors revealed shortly what the show has done for them, claiming they initially thought it would only be a quick job, but it was so much fun that they stuck around for the entire thing.

They also noted that the show became a staple of American television culture, cementing its place as the number one CBS daytime drama over the years with its complex characters and intricate plotlines. Many also noted the influence the show has had in their own lives, reflecting on the friendships they have garnered through it.

To build up to the big celebration, the show's producers released a series of special episodes, which ran from March 23. The event culminated in a magnificent masquerade ball featuring cameos from past characters and much more.

Jess Walton's Love Story of 40 Years and Becoming a Widow

Among those who contributed to the featurette reflecting on the show's past was the longtime "The Young and the Restless" actress Jess Walton. In her section, she revealed how close the cast is, having bonded over the years.

In a touching turn of events, James managed to provide for his family even after he was gone.

In 2021, Walters also opened up about her personal life after her husband of 40 years, John James, passed away. The actress shared the news via Instagram in August, revealing her husband had been struggling with terminal liver cancer for three months. Although James' cancer initially went into remission, it returned in May.

Although the family faced a looming tragedy, they made sure to spend the last days they had with their father doing the things they've always wanted to do. James had the chance to walk his daughter, Allison James, down the aisle — something Allison had been dreaming about since she was a little girl.

James' condition worsened over time, and the father-of-two spent his last days at home with his kids and his wife looking after him. Walters revealed what his last days were like, saying it was tremendously painful to see the man she loved degrading and having nothing she could do to help. She shared:

"This has been far and away the most painful period of my life, and our children's. At the same time it has been richly rewarding."

After James' death, the actress looked back at his life, sharing details about him on Instagram. One post showed James in his military uniform, with Walters thanking him and every other veteran for their service. Walters also recalled how caring James was and how he spent his life looking out for others.

Walters' Current Life after Her Loss

Although Walters' recovery period after losing her husband was inconceivably tough, she had some form of consolation in The Grief Recovery Method her husband founded when he was alive. In a touching turn of events, James managed to provide for his family even after he was gone.

Since James' passing, his son, Cole James, has taken over The Grief Recovery Method, continuing the excellent work his father started. Walters applauded her son in an Instagram post, writing, "I'm so proud of the father he is and the work he does to carry on @griefrecoverymethod which my husband started."

Walters also shared that she often visits James and her horses at Heartspace horse sanctuary, where the couple decided to stable their beloved Ace and Layla. She also shared how much she still misses James, marking the six-month milestone after his passing with a Twitter post. Walters captioned the post:

"It's been six months yesterday. I had been having a really hard day, and then I was reminded of the date. Then I understood why. Six months is a hard milestone for grievers. Thank God for the love and the legacy of @GriefRecovery my sweet husband left behind."

These days, Walters surrounds herself with her loved ones. She keeps her fans on social media updated, often sharing images of family get-togethers. For Thanksgiving in 2022, she posted a photo of four homemade pies her daughter-in-law baked. The caption read:

"Happy Thanksgiving, everybody and much love to you all. I am up in Idaho with my family and our homemade pies. Thanks to my daughter-in-law, Ashley. Apple, berry, pumpkin, and peach!"

For her birthday in 2022, Walton shared a video of her thanking her followers for their endless birthday wishes. She filmed herself sitting in a car. Walton, who stood by her husband until his death, much like Gina Martin Wilson, sent her love to her fans, saying, "Thank you so much. It meant a lot to me. It made my day so much brighter." She ended the message by blowing a kiss.

Fans reacted to the video by praising her youthful looks. They wrote, "Still so absolutely beautiful and ageless. Happy birthday," "Beautiful and spunky as ever!!!" and "You are so missed on the soap."

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