Michael Baldwin
Actor History
Christian Jules LeBlanc (1991-1993; April 1997 to Present)
Nicknames
Mikey (by Kevin)
That Shyster Lawyer (by Jack & Victor)
Occupation
Legal Partner in Baldwin, Blair, and Associates
Former Legal advisor to Victor Newman
Former Partner in Baldwin & Williams Attorneys At Law
Ex-con
Attorney formerly with Whitman, Walker, and Wilson Law Firm
Resides At
An upscale apartment at 196 E. Chestnut Street #632
Marital Status
Married to Lauren Fenmore [Married: Dec 9th, 2005]
Past Marriages
Hilary Lancaster (divorced)
Relatives
Lowell "River" Baldwin (father)
Tom Fisher (stepfather) (deceased)
Gloria Fisher (mother)
Kevin Fisher (half-brother)
Eden Baldwin (half-sister, Lowell's daughter)
Florence Baldwin (grandmother) (deceased in hurricane Katrina)
[unknown first name] Baldwin (paternal grandfather)
[unknown first name] Simmons (maternal grandfather)
[unknown first name] Simmons (maternal grandmother)
Children
Fenmore (Fen) Michael Baldwin (Son by Lauren)
Flings & Affairs
Hilary Lancaster
Phyllis Summers
Grace Turner
Isabella Braña
Christine Blair Williams
Lauren Fenmore
Crimes Committed
Assault
Sexual Harrassment of Hilary Lancaster years prior to his appearance in Genoa City
Paid "Rebecca" to drug Danny Romalotti and take compromising photos with him
Sexual Harassment of Christine Blair
May have murdered "Rebecca" - never charged
Blackmailed into committing commercial bribery by Victor Newman - made a deal to turn state's evidence against Victor
Framed Tom Fisher by having Ashley plant the makings of crystal meth in Tom's motorcycle saddle bags - never discovered
Held Christine Blair captive and attempted rape
Shot Paul Williams when he tried to rescue Christine - served 4 years in prison
Aided and abetted his mother Gloria by concealing knowlege that she was the one who tainted the Glo By Jabot face cream
Aided and abetted his brother Kevin by concealing knowlege of illegal hacking into security surveillance and computer systems
Met with this father Lowell knowing he was wanted and lied to police that he did not know his whereabouts
Brief Character History
In 1991, Christine "Cricket" Romalotti went to work at a prestigious law firm, for hotshot lawyer Michael Baldwin. The charming Baldwin took her under his wing, guiding and training her. At first, Chris was appreciative - until he kissed her one day after a court victory. When he suggested a more "friendly" relationship in exchange for her moving up in the hierarchy, she began making inquiries at the firm about sexual harassment. The promotion disappeared, and Chris filed a sexual harassment lawsuit. She also learned that he had done the same to several other women, including her neighbor Hilary Lancaster.
To make himself look better, Michael wooed and married his old flame Hilary. But he still had his eye on Chris, and when she and Danny Romalotti broke up, he asked her to accompany him on a business trip to Los Angeles. Once there, he made sexual advances. Chris (whose breakup with Danny was staged) caught his behavior on audio tape, he was fired, and Hilary left him. He quickly got a job at another prestigious firm, but Christine went to their disciplinary committee, who agreed to hear a case against him.
Michael wasn't going to go down without a fight. He claimed Chris had entrapped him by continuing to work at the firm after leaving his employ. He paid a woman named Rebecca to drug Danny's tea and get photos of her and Danny appearing to be having sex to show that Danny and Christine's marriage wasn't as happy as they claimed. Later Rebecca was found dead in her apartment just after we saw Michael threatening her not to blackmail him. But all was for naught, because Michael was found guilty of sexual harassment, lost his job, Hilary divorced him and left town.
Michael apologized to Christine, announcing his plans to leave town, but his real plans were much more sinister. While Danny was out of town performing, Michael bluffed his way into Hilary's empty apartment and got into Christine's apartment by digging a hole in the wall where he hid in the closet, waiting to attack her. Fortunately when he made his move, Paul Williams raced in and stopped him, and in the struggle Michael was shot with his own gun. Michael was sent to jail, and even though he claimed insanity, stayed there for 4 years.
In 1997, Michael was up for parole. Despite Christine testifying that they had no way of knowing how he would behave when returned to a world with women, the board believed Michael had reformed, and freed him. He couldn't get a job as a lawyer, and had to take one as a paralegal. His fist case involved a custody suit between Danny and his unbalanced, fiery ex-wife, Phyllis, with Chris acting as Danny's attorney. Michael discovered just how fiery she was when he and Phyllis fell into bed together.
Although Danny won sole custody, Michael was delighted by his return to the law. He constantly asked and pleaded with Chris to help get him his law license back. After he donated a kidney to Danny (who had been badly beaten and was near death) Christine agreed, speaking up for him at the hearing despite her doubts. Michael got his license back, and Chris was his probation officer for a year.
Michael immediately jumped into Diane Newman's case against husband Victor Newman, who had gotten a quickie divorce from her for a deathbed marriage to his former wife Nikki - a marriage that continued after she unexpectedly recovered. Michael wasted no time in being a formidable foe to the ever-superior Victor, encouraging Diane to go for the jugular and booking her on a trashy talk show hosted by another of Victor's ex-wives Leanna Love. But his live-in lover Phyllis became increasingly paranoid over his tight bond with Diane. She finally had Michael kidnapped and held bound and gagged as punishment. After he escaped, he believed it was Victor's doing, but after learning Phyllis was responsible, he broke it off with her, although they became best friends again later on.
With Diane's case against Victor settled, Michael worked for Katherine Chancellor during her fight with Jill Abbott over the Chancellor mansion, and also advised Jack and Brad on the perfect hostile takeover of Newman Enterprises. Later in 1999, he represented Alice Johnson in her custody fight with Sharon and Nick Newman. Again, he faced off with Christine. Grace Turner got involved with Michael about this time, running into him several times at a bar, where they discussed her hatred of the Newmans, and they would banter and flirt. At one such meeting, Michael surprised Grace by presenting her with a picture he sketched of her, and enlisted her help in finding out if Alice would really rather be paid off than get custody of Cassie. Grace realized they had a mutual evil streak, and gave him a quarter as retainer to become her lawyer. During one of their meetings about the case Grace kissed Michael as a reward for his efforts, and they ended up having sex on Michael's desk. One of the reasons Grace left town after the trial was that she felt betrayed when Michael won the custody case for Alice despite her efforts.
Michael and Christine's relationship continued to change as she accepted his advice and opinions, and finally agreed to go into practice with him. As they worked on cases together and establishing their firm, Michael listened to her marital problems, and found himself falling in love with her.
In late 2000, Christine's marriage to Paul continued to worsen due to his insistence on wanting a baby. She went to Hong Kong to work on a case which was drawn out for many months, always finding excuses for not staying in touch. Next Christine was offered a case in Australia, but she turned it down and was determined to go home to Genoa City and try to mend her shattered marriage. She arrived at their apartment only to find Paul in the arms of his new client Isabella. Without a word to Paul, she accepted the case in Australia and filed for divorce.
Isabella didn't want to tell Paul that she was pregnant because she felt that he was too hung up on Chris, so she had a brief affair with Michael and told him that he was the father. Michael was outraged at first, even drew up legal papers for her to sign. But Isabella had something on Michael from the past, so he backed down and went along with her demands of rent, baby furniture, and everything she needed to live until the baby was born. Michael also arranged for a job for her in another town for afterward. Just as Michael was softening to the idea of a child and a future with Isabella, and Paul was getting involved with former wife Lauren Fenmore, Paul found out that her baby was his and wanted to be a father to the child. With this major lie Isabella fell out of grace with both Michael and Paul's mother Mary. Isabella and Paul's baby boy, Ricardo Carl Williams, was born.
Diane Jenkins asked Michael to represent her in a custody dispute against Jack Abbott over her child Kyle. Michael was torn between his long time friend and former lover Phyllis, who was now married to Jack, and loyalty to newer friend and former client Diane. Although Diane retaining custody of Kyle was what both women wanted, Michael decided to only advise her and brought in female attorney friend Sydney to handle the case. Phyllis was keeping up a front of loyalty to Jack because she loved him so, but she didn't want Diane or "her kid" in their lives forever. So in a last ditch effort to win, Michael took over from Sydney when Phyllis got on the stand. In his masterful way, he browbeat Phyllis about her real feelings and her son Daniel who was taken away from her as a toddler, until she broke down. Diane won custody, and Phyllis was ready to hate Michael for what he did to her until Michael convinced Phyllis he did it for her own good.
Christine spent long hours working with Michael and they became closer, sharing dinners and their feelings together. They finally broached the subject of their past, and although Chris agreed Michael was a changed man, said it still haunted her. That and her still lingering feelings for Paul made it rough on Michael, but Christine decided to put the past behind her and accepted Michael's marriage proposal. Paul invited Isabella's estranged father Ricardo to Ricky's Christening, and they happily reunited. Michael showed up, asked Ricardo not to mention they knew each other or Isabella's past, then announced his engagement to Chris, enraging Paul! Paul slugged Michael, who left with a black eye. Later Paul showed up at Chris's apartment and forced himself on her. At one point she reciprocated, (cut to commercial), then we saw Paul leaving a devastated-looking Christine, saying he was sorry about everything. Was it rape? Or was it two people who love each other, but have screwed up their lives to the point where they could not be together? The next morning Christine disappeared, leaving both Michael and Paul confused. Chris was gone for months before Paul, consumed with guilt, told Isabella that he and Chris had sex that night. Isabella left him, only returning occasionally to see Ricky.
Chris returned in disguise as the dark-haired mysterious Kelly Simmons bent on getting the goods on Isabella. Paul saw through Chris's disguise, and they came to an understanding about the "rape", but Paul chose Isabella and his son. Paul took Ricky to Isabella's parents in Los Angeles, leaving her to finish packing for their move there. Just before their marriage, Michael confessed to Chris that he set up Isabella to meet Paul so that Chris and Paul would split for good and he could have Chris. But Chris exploded, walked out on Michael, and flew to Los Angeles to tell Paul the whole story. She found Paul camping on a beach, told him the truth, and they ended up making love. Upon their return to Genoa City, Paul moved back into their former apartment with Chris, while Isabella plotted revenge
One night Isabella called Michael, who was with Diane, telling him someone was breaking in, then screamed. When Michael arrived he found what appeared to be a bloody murder scene and Isabella missing. Then Christine woke up unconscious in her car in the woods and told Michael and Paul of her only memory of Isabella screaming not to hurt her, of blood and a boat. Michael tracked down the boat, which was covered in blood, and destroyed the evidence against Chris. The night before Chris was to be arrested, she was attacked in her bathtub by a very much alive Isabella who had drugged her wine. She told Chris how she had set her up while wielding a butcher knife. Paul arrived in the nick of time, slugged and knocked out Isabella. As he was reviving Christine, Michael arrived and saved them both from the crazed Isabella. The cops arrived and hauled Isabella away. She was committed to a mental hospital, Rickey stayed with his grandparents in Los Angeles, and Paul and Chris were free to be together once again. Michael apologized to Chris for all the misery he'd caused her, she forgave him, and they stayed close friends.
Victor found out about the cover-up Michael did for Chris and blackmailed him into paying off large retailers to give the Newman cosmetics line Safra the prime shelf space normally held by Jabot. This caused Safra to sell like hotcakes and finish an unexpected close second to Jabot's Tuvia line. Since Chris did not do the crime, Michael was out from under Victor's thumb, but asked Victor to stay on working for him. Victor reluctantly agreed, and asked Michael to keep his daughter Victoria away from Damon Porter because he worked for Jabot. Michael took the job but began falling for Victoria. Then Nick uncovered the bribery and took his findings to the Federal Authorities.
Kevin Fisher showed up at his long lost half-brother Michael Baldwin's office expecting help. Poor Michael. As if he didn't have enough to worry about with his involvement in the Newman Enterprises bribery scandal. It was disclosed that Michael's father Lowell was a former hippie turned boozer, Michael was 10 years old when his mother remarried Tom Fisher, then Kevin was born. Michael described him as a great kid, funny and full of potential. But Kevin's father, who they called "Terrible Tom", was a drunk who took out his frustration and anger by abusing and beating Michael, who escaped from Detroit as a teenager. Then the beatings fell on Kevin. He was repeatedly abused both physically and verbally then locked in a closet. Later Kevin went to live with Michael while he was a struggling Law student on partial scholarship. Kevin became an apprentice electrician, but he ripped off Michael and his friends, and started a fire at a neighbor's while replacing some switches, and the house burned down. No charges were ever filed, but Kevin was fired, and Michael sent him packing.
The Federal Authorities questioned Michael about the Newman bribes, but eventually turned the case over to the DA's office where it became the case of new Assistant DA, Christine. Although Michael offered to take the rap, Victor insisted Michael make a deal to hopefully save his legal career. Michael did, and Victor was arrested and jailed the day before Christmas. Michael and Victoria were getting very close when Victor's illegal activities came out, but she was so devastated and disappointed in her father, she left town.
When Kevin's boss Bobby Marcino was tipped to Kevin's illegal activities including arson, statutory rape, and attempted murder, he fired Kevin. Shortly afterward, stripper Brittany Hodges was electrocuted during her act by contact with the dancing pole, and suffered severe burns to her face. Kevin was one of the suspects, his motive revenge toward Bobby for firing him, and toward Britt for rebuffing his advances. Kevin fell hard for older woman, Lauren Fenmore, so she accepted an invitation to be his date for the Valentine dance at the Athletic Club, hoping Kevin would admit some of his misdeeds. Instead Kevin found out he was being setup and ended up holding Lauren captive at this apartment. Lauren was shocked when Kevin turned his gun from her to himself, just as half-brother Michael came pounding on his door. Michael managed to talk Kevin into letting Lauren go, and got the gun away, promising to never run out on his brother again. Not long afterward, Kevin was arrested for Brittany's electrocution and panicked over spending the night in jail, reminding him of those long dark punishments in the closet as a kid. Lauren took pity, bailed him out, and he moved in with Michael as part of the deal. Finding out that Lauren was the one who bailed him out, confirmed to Kevin that Lauren really cared for him. He went to the Jabot Boutique to thank Lauren and ended up confiding in her his Genoa City crimes, but claimed that he did not hurt Brittany. Lauren swore she wouldn't tell anyone. Paul guessed from Lauren's demeanor that Kevin had confessed, so went after Kevin and stupidly pressured him, inferring that Lauren had told, causing Kevin to flee Genoa City for his mother's apartment in his and Michael's hometown Detroit. Kevin awaited his mother Gloria's return, opening that same closet door and reliving the terrifying experience of being locked inside as punishment as a child by "Terrible Tom." Gloria arrived, shocked to see him, and hugged and rocked him, begging him to love her now after she had turned her back on the abuse all those years. Michael showed up just before the Detroit police knocked on the door wanting Kevin. Michael called Detective Weber back in Genoa City, and convinced him to let him bring Kevin back. Gloria and Michael hadn't seen each other in many years either, and Michael was obviously resentful of her. But Gloria talked Michael into letting her return to Genoa City with Kevin. Kevin ended up in jail, and when the prisoners labeled him as a child molester, they beat him up with a "blanket party." Kevin went to the hospital, then was released when Bobby got his mobster pals to admit they had fried Brittany.
Michael laid down the law to his two unwelcome houseguests to not touch anything and give him his space, but allowed them to use his membership at the Athletic Club and charge their needs to him. John Abbott was bedazzled by the much younger Gloria Fisher, unaware that she was the mother of unscrupulous Attorney Michael Baldwin and Kevin Fisher, the guy who tried to murder John's granddaughter Colleen and burned down Gina's restaurant. Ashley and Jack were both shocked when John and Gloria returned from a cruise announcing they were married. Convinced that the low class Gloria was a gold-digger, Ashley disapproved of their relationship and vowed to end it, while Jack was content if Gloria made John happy. After John found out that Gloria was mother to Michael and Kevin, he was ready to end the marriage. But a fall down the stairs caused John to break his hip, and Gloria managed to weasel her way back into his good graces while he recuperated from hip replacement surgery.
Kevin continued his infatuation for Lauren, but Michael was drawn to Lauren himself as they met often to discuss Kevin, and eventually ended up lovers. Mackenzie Browning was able to get Kevin to open up to him, and convinced him to go to a psychiatrist. Kevin began learning how to deal with his past and handled it well when he realized that Mac was not interested him as more than a friend. Michael and Kevin grew close, and Kevin bought Michael a lottery ticket. Wouldn't you know, the ticket won. Michael shared a good portion of the winnings in a trust fund for Kevin. Michael eventually popped the question to Lauren after dinner in the Private Dining Room at The Genoa City Athletic Club which he had set up like a gambling casino. After some hesitance by Lauren over Michael's lack of communication about his personal life, Lauren did say yes. Gloria was thrilled with the impending marriage, and took over the wedding plans. Michael quizzed Lauren about her rarely-mentioned son Scotty, hopeful that he would attend the wedding and they could finally meet, but Lauren was evasive. After an Internet search turned up nothing but a last name for Scotty, Kevin asked to borrow Lauren's cell phone, and they traced him by his phone number to Toronto. Michael went there and met Scotty, now 24, and a college student/Teaching Assistant, working on his Masters in Education with a specialty in creative writing. Scotty disclosed that he'd never been back to Genoa City since he was a toddler, and grew up in boarding schools around the world. But wherever he was, Lauren visited often and kept an apartment nearby. Scotty always wondered why his mother was so secretive, but gave up asking about it back when he was a kid. Not long after Michael returned to Genoa City, Lauren decided it was time to tell Scotty about her impending marriage, but Scotty admitted he'd already met Michael. Lauren felt betrayed, but Michael later reminded her about how she disliked HIS family secrets. After Lauren left Scotty's, who should walk out of Scotty's bedroom, but Sheila Carter! Sheila (as "Brenda") was taking college courses and being tutored by Scotty, who was the spitting image of his father. Sheila gave Scotty an idea for a novel. Unknown to him, the story was of Sheila and his mother Lauren, but Sheila made Lauren out to be the evil-doer who stole Sheila's baby when the opposite was true. Meanwhile, Michael discovered their history, and visited another "Sheila" in a California prison for the criminally insane who had turned herself in after a two month's escape. She had gotten plastic surgery to look like Sheila and was being kept drugged.
Scotty decided to attend his mother's wedding in Genoa City and moved into the loft apartment with Kevin. Brenda soon followed and took up residence in the same seedy hotel where Tom Fisher was staying. The evil Tom and "Brenda" hit it off, and joined forces against Michael and Lauren. Scotty visited "Brenda" often to work on their book. Sheila felt free to move about in Genoa City disguised as the dark haired British accented "Jennifer." She even ended up saving Gloria's life while she was waitressing a party at the Athletic Club. When Scotty bought his mother a silver pendant, Sheila saw her chance and dipped it in poison. The more Lauren wore it, the more she started getting sick and having hallucinations. The night before their wedding Lauren awaited Michael to join her for a romantic dinner on the roof. She began hallucinating that Sheila was tormenting her. But Sheila was there for real, talking her into jumping off the roof. Michael arrived just in time to save her, though never saw Sheila. Lauren was admitted to the hospital where they discovered the poisoning, but "Brenda" talked Tom into stealing the necklace before it could be checked for toxin. The wedding was postponed while Lauren recovered. Michael and Paul discovered it was the necklace, but Sheila managed to get it cleaned and returned to the hospital laundry. Scotty got a book deal for "One Stolen Heart", but "Brenda" was livid. She decided it was too risky to remain in Genoa City as "Brenda", so "Brenda" returned to Toronto, but Sheila actually stayed on as Jennifer, intent on getting back at Tom who knew too much in addition to Lauren.
Ashley Abbott began dating Paul Williams but was also being pursued by a mysterious man named Tom Callahan. What she didn't know was that he was Gloria's ex-husband, and Kevin's child abuser father, "Terrible Tom" Fisher. Gloria didn't know if he was even alive, but Kevin's first encounter with him turned him back into that cowering child he once was. Michael paid him off to leave town, but that obviously didn't work. In trying to figure out what Tom was up to, Michael discovered that Gloria's divorce from Tom was never filed. He assured Gloria that her marriage would be seen as legal, but could be voided should John decide to. Tom was seeing a lot of Ashley, always just missing encountering Gloria or John at the Athletic Club or the Abbott mansion. One day Tom's luck ran out, as they ran into Michael at the Abbott's. Amazingly, Michael did not expose him to Ashley, but afterward, he suggested Gloria have Tom declared legally dead. After witnessing a bit of his temper, Ashley asked Tom to back off, that she only wanted to be friends. After Tom discovered the ad in the paper to declare him dead, he went to the Abbott mansion and confronted Gloria who was shocked and terrified to see him. She was free and clear with John, but further indebted to Tom, and Michael was on the spot. They told Ashley, who later slugged Tom at the Athletic Club. Because Gloria continued to pay Tom blackmail money stolen from John, Michael formed an alliance with Ashley. They planted drugs in Tom's motorcycle saddle bags, and arranged for him to be caught. But Tom pressured Gloria through Sheila (disguised as Jennifer) to pay his bail. Ashley began dating Tom as part of the plot to bring him down, but Tom found out and out for revenge!
Not realizing that Shelia was intent on murder, Tom was conned into joining her plot to get back at Lauren, by planting a bomb on Lauren and Michael's honeymoon yacht. Michael watched in horror from shore as the yacht blew up. Lauren was not found, and was presumed dead. But Tom had rescued Lauren and carried her and Sheila back to a farmhouse in Genoa City where he held them in the basement fallout shelter. Lauren convinced Tom that Sheila was the "bad guy", so he contacted Gloria to arrange a deal to turn over Lauren. John overheard the phone call, grabbed his gun, and met Tom in an alley. During a struggle the gun went off, and Tom was killed. John dropped the gun and took off getting into a car accident, but Ashley arrived in time to witness it. Ashley confessed to the shooting to save her father and was arrested with Michael as her lawyer. The morgue attendant handed over Tom's effects to Kevin, which included a key to a safe deposit box which Michael later traced to a bank in Cleveland. Meanwhile Lauren and Sheila fought and Lauren broke Sheila's ankle. Eventually, realizing Tom was not coming back, they joined forces to attempt an escape. As they were almost out, Paul arrived and pulled Lauren to safety while the shelter caved in on Sheila. Sheila was not found in the rubble, but was later seen at a plastic surgeon requesting a new face. Michael and Lauren enjoyed a tearful reunion, and everyone in Genoa City was relived she was back among the living. After recovering from the accident, John regained his memory, and confessed to killing Tom. John got Paul to help him convince the DA that he was guilty, and took a plea bargain to get Ashley exonerated of all charges, and he was sentenced to 7 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.
With John in prison and not at the mansion to protect her, Gloria grew tired of the way Jack and Ashley treated her and vowed to get even. She managed to get hold of the new product Ashley was developing in the lab and compromised it with cleaning solution to make trouble for them. Gloria even asked for a sample, then used it on herself getting major facial burns to show everyone that Ashley's cream was a hazard. Unfortunately samples had already been distributed to select people, and a woman ended up dying after using the cream. The cause of death was a bit suspicious, but the husband was paid off by Jabot to avoid a lawsuit. Jabot's reputation was further ruined, and Jack was fired by Katherine as a result. Gloria then invited Kevin to live at the Abbott estate, ingratiated herself to Kay and Jill and landed a job at Jabot as Fashion Consultant, then managed to get Kevin hired on as Director of Internet Affairs to replace Phyllis. She let both Kevin and Michael in on her schemes and they reluctantly helped to keep her secrets.
Much to her surprise, Lauren discovered she was pregnant, and Michael was elated to be having his first child. Because of her age, Lauren had an amnio to be sure the baby was all right, and it checked out fine. But concerned about the fact that they knew so little about Michael's father, they began a quest to track him down. Michael took a trip to New Orleans, the last known location of Lowell Baldwin and his Grandmother Florence. But in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Michael found their house destroyed and returned with only a water-soaked diary he found in their yard. Lauren had an expert restore parts of the diary, they found it did indeed belong to Michael's grandmother, but got few clues from it to locate them.
While in prison John started getting into fights with inmates and having spells where he believed his first wife Dina had just left him. Jack, Ashley and Gloria were made aware, and Jack got permission for John's doctor to look at him, and it was discovered that John was being over-medicated. Before that was corrected, Jack took this opportunity to get John to hand-write a new will cutting out "his evil wife" whom John thought was Dina. Six months after his incarceration, John was about to be released early due to ill heath when he had a stroke and was rushed to Genoa City Memorial in grave condition. The doctors made the family aware that John would never come out of his vegetative state and had signed a DNR. After much bickering between Gloria and Jack, Gloria decided to use her authority in the DNR to allow John to die. Billy and Traci returned to say farewell to their father, as did old friend Kay, and ex-wife Jill. Jack and Ashley, who wanted a small family-only memorial service for John, over-ruled Gloria who wanted a huge lavish funeral. As the feud between them heightened, Jack made sure that Gloria had the wrong time so that she missed the memorial service where each of John's children, plus Kay and Jill, gave a heartfelt eulogy. Gloria, Michael, Lauren and Kevin arrived to find it over, so held their own service for John including Gloria's eulogy.
The Fishers were jubilant and the Abbott's were appalled to discover John's will left Gloria 50% of his billion dollar estate, with the rest including the Abbott mansion to be divided among his children. But when everyone arrived in probate court, the prison chaplain turned over the hand-written will he had been given for safe-keeping by John which divided the estate among only his children. It was also exposed that John's attorney had never gotten around to making the marriage between John and Gloria legal. Afterward, Gloria arrived at the Abbott Mansion to find her belongings in trash bags on the front porch and the locks changed, with Jack gloating behind the glass door. The next day, as dead-John looked on in the guise of Jack's guilty conscience, the judge decided in the end that the hand-written will would stand, so Gloria was cut out. Assuming that Jack was somehow behind this, Gloria was livid. She and Kevin moved in with Michael and Lauren. Jill and Kay promoted Gloria to Vice President of Creative Affairs for Jabot, further infuriating the Abbotts. But Jabot was sold to House of Kim, and Gloria had to prove herself all over again.
When Lauren discovered that Michael had been working with Gloria in her shady dealings with Jabot, she went into early labor and delivered their baby boy prematurely. Baby Fenmore Baldwin was finally able to go home, but the Baldwin household was frantic due to the bickering between Lauren's mother Joanna and Gloria, a colicky baby, and Michael's being too busy defending the Winters family in the Carmen Mesta murder case, plus working with Victor to expose Jack Abbott for secretly buying Jabot in the guise of House of Kim.
Paul Williams managed to track Sheila to Argentina in October 2006 and discovered that she had undergone plastic surgery to look like Phyllis Summers, then had killed the plastic surgeon. Paul, later in October, discovered her buying baby things in Genoa City, and followed her to a warehouse where he trapped her in the cell she had constructed with the intention of imprisoning Lauren and stealing her baby Fen. Paul made her pose for a death photo at gunpoint and made up DNA samples to convince Lauren and Michael that she was killed when struck by a car in Argentina. Paul also let Phyllis and Nick know that Sheila now looked like Phyllis. Paul kept her imprisoned there undetected until December when Michael put a tracking bug on Paul's car and caught Paul bringing her food. Michael picked the lock and was shocked to discover "Phyllis" behind the bars. Paul appeared and tried to convince Michael that it was really Sheila, but it took a cell phone call to the real Phyllis to convince him. Knowing the authorities could never keep her contained, Paul and Michael shared the secret and the dilemma of what to do with her. Meanwhile Lauren and the real Phyllis were bonding through their pregnancies as she helped Lauren get through her post partum depression and anxiety attacks.
Police Detective Maggie Sullivan and Paul Williams began dating, and in her curiosity about Paul's frequent absence "on a stakeout" she tracked him by his cell phone to the warehouse. Sheila conned her into believing she was Phyllis, Maggie let her loose, then Sheila shot her with her own gun. Paul arrived later and was trapped in the cell too by Sheila when he came to Maggie's aid. Sheila then went to Phyllis's, tied her up and waited for Lauren and baby Fen to arrive, taunting Phyllis about how great it would be to take over her life with her hot husband and new baby. After Lauren arrived she was tied up, and Sheila took Phyllis and babies Fen and Summer to a retirement home where she had an apartment. Michael eventually rescued Paul and a near-death Maggie from the warehouse cell. While Michael and Paul followed Sheila's walkie-talkie signal which she planted to lure them elsewhere, Nick and Lauren with the aid of Kevin enhanced the background noise from her latest taunting call. Nick realized where they were and while they tried to find Paul, Lauren sneaked out with the gun Paul had given her for security. Lauren found the apartment, broke in, and confronted the two Phyllises. Phyllis managed to convince Lauren she was the real one, and Lauren shot Sheila dead! Her dying words still taunting Lauren that she would never be rid of her and she had shot the wrong one, led us to believe that this may have yet been another pawn of Sheila and she may still be out there and a threat. Phyllis was livid with Michael and Lauren for endangering her and her baby Summer, and refused to reconcile. Maggie recovered from her gunshot wound and did not tell the police about Paul or Michael holding Sheila in that cell, so they were not charged.
Since his brother Kevin and his mother Gloria arrived in town, Michael spent way too much of his time away from his home, family, and clients trying to keep them out of trouble and jail. Gloria went from one rich husband to another who just happened to die, and one scheme after another, while most of the time living with Michael and his family. When she was not in trouble, then Kevin usually was. Kevin seemed to have settled down with Jana, and he and Michael finally cut Gloria off so they could live their own lives.
The Fishers were celebrating Michael's first Father's Day with son Fenmore, when Michael insisted Gloria tell him more about his own father, Lowell Baldwin. Gloria told her story of how they were young idealistic hippies, omitting the activist group that they belonged to and changing the ending that Gloria discovered she was pregnant with Michael about the time Lowell got drafted and fled to Canada. She told them rather than raise an infant in a commune, she let Lowell go alone and never saw him again. She guiltily admitted that they had never been married like she had led everyone to believe.
Paul Williams located a "River" Baldwin wanted for murder after setting up a bombing of a bank as a leader with the 60's activist group “The Weathermen”. He had the same social security number as Lowell, and was also born in New Orleans. Records also showed that a Gloria Simmons paid his bail. Gloria again lied in response to Michael's confrontation, claiming that Lowell used her, convinced her he was innocent, and disappeared after she bailed him out, leaving her and baby Michael penniless. Paul also later discovered that a Richard Gerick had switched identities with Lowell in 1993 after Lowell, then a College professor in Southern California, was kicked out and disappeared because he slept with student. Michael began having second thoughts about finding his long lost father.
Although Jana was originally planning her wedding to Kevin in "goth" style with Amber designing her gown, then influenced by being maid of honor for Sabrina began dreaming of a more traditional wedding, they ended up with a hippie style wedding at an ashram in Malibu. All in hippie attire except for Jana's white lace gown, Amber was her maid of honor and Daniel Kevin's best man with Michael as groomsman. Lauren, Gloria and Jeffrey attended, and Colleen tagged along as Daniel's date. To everyone's shock, the guru officiating turned out to be Michael's long lost father Lowell "River" Baldwin. Gloria and Michael gave him a tongue-lashing over his abandoning them before Michael was born, and Lowell retorted with cosmic gibberish about fate and the universe, and asked them not to turn him in to the FBI. Michael gave him hell with tears of hurt in his eyes, but left saying he would not turn him in. Jana and Kevin honeymooned driving a 69 Dodge Charger on the California coast.
It wasn't long before River turned up at Michael's door trying to explain and make amends for the past to Michael and Gloria, claiming he was not guilty of the death in the 60's. Gloria had a very touching reunion with Lowell, and she and Michael both made peace with him. Just as he was about to leave town, Lowell was apprehended by the FBI. Gloria’s current husband Jeffrey later admitted that he turned Lowell in. Not long afterward 15 year old Eden showed up at Michael’s looking for her father, River. Lowell explained to Michael that when he was teaching in California he got a grad student pregnant, and was fired from the university as a result. Eden's mother had a drug problem, disappeared after Eden was born, and she died. Lowell raised Eden to be self-sufficient in case he got caught, home-schooling her to be far advanced for her age. He asked Michael to take her in, and Lauren convinced Michael they should give it a try, but Eden was sullen and belligerent. Attorney Dick Dentner, a former activist himself, saw Lowell as a hero and took his case with plans to "stick it to the man". Michael attempted to help, but Lowell was not interested. But when Lowell was about to be extradited back to Michigan, Michael acted as his lawyer and got his trial held in Genoa City, Lowell finally accepted Michael to defend him. Michael spent days pouring over four decades of files from the 1960’s trial of Lowell's cohorts. He found and met with a buddy of Lowell’s, Howie “Kite” Sullivan, who told him that he was with “River” the day of the bombing, and that “River” was not responsible for the janitor who was killed. He said it was meant to be only a confetti bomb, but someone substituted a real one, and River was only there to try to stop the protest. Howie claimed he was an FBI informant who, when he refused to testify against Lowell, ended up doing time. Meanwhile Gloria located a note in the files saying that the prosecution had scrapped Howie’s testimony because he refused to cut a deal, which verified his story. Back at the jail, after a visit from Jeffrey that convinced him that freedom was hopeless, Lowell took a capsule that would make him sick so he’d be taken to the hospital. He left a note for Michael, and with Eden causing a distraction, Lowell escaped out a second story window hurting his ankle. Eden met Lowell at a warehouse, but he convinced her to stay with Michael to have a decent life. Not long after she left, the police surrounded the warehouse. Michael arrived and talked Lowell into surrendering. While working on Lowell’s case, Michael found a photo of the activist group, and Lowell identified everyone, including Gloria. Michael was particularly interested in finding Lowell's former best friend Marshall. He suspected he was the one who substituted the real bomb, but he turned out to be deceased. Also among the old evidence was a tape of a witness named Tonya condemning Lowell as a violent ringleader, the voice undeniably Gloria’s. When Michael confronted her with it, Gloria broke down and admitted she was coerced into it by the police under threat of Michael being taken away from her. When Michael told Lowell, he said he had known all along, understood the circumstances, and forgave her long ago. Gloria walked in the visiting room, overheard, and they cried and embraced.
Months later in court, thanks to Michael's expertise and Gloria's last minute testimony, River's charges for the bombing of the Michigan bank building and resulting death of the janitor were dropped. Then a California tax bill for the ashram which was in Eden's name arrived, causing Michael to realize the only way River would have had the 4.5 million dollars to buy the ashram was if he had stolen the 4.5 million the bank claimed lost in the bank during the bombing. Confronted by Michael, River admitted he had gone there for the money, not to stop the bombing as he claimed, and that he had conned everyone since. River left town, stopping only for Eden's teddy bear which he had stuffed with the $60,000 he had stolen from Crimson Lights. But Eden caught and confronted him. River told her she was better off with Michael and Lauren and left her behind. Eden was crushed to realize he was a conman all along, but glad that she and Noah had discovered and hid the money, so he had only a bear full of paper.
Because Gloria went against Jeffrey forbidding her to testify for River at his trial, Jeffrey retaliated by burning his own face with the tainted cream so that Gloria would be discovered as the culprit. Gloria was arrested and jailed for tainting the face cream, and the Abbotts tossed Jeffrey out of the pool house and sued for the Jabot shares and damages. Michael was so distraught by being played for a fool by both his parents, he wished he'd never been born. In an amazing Christmas episode, Paul playing "Marley's ghost" showed Michael how life would be had Michael never been born. Danny would have died without Michael's donated kidney, resulting in Phyllis being unable to stop Daniel's real father from gaining full custody and her never seeing him again, then ending up alone and demoralized picking up men in bars. Paul and Christine would both have been killed by Isabella had Michael not saved her life, leaving Lauren a mean woman like she was in her youth and pining for Paul. Gloria would have been sued penniless by the Abbott's and scrubbing floors at Jabot, and Victor still in prison for Ji Min's murder. Kevin would have been in a padded cell after a failed suicide attempt in jail, leaving Jana a bitter woman in Goth running the dive Crimson Lights had become. Michael returned home to Lauren, Fen, and Eden a grateful man.
Shortly after Jeff visited Gloria in jail to tell her he was divorcing her again, Michael arrived with some good news. Paul investigated Andrew Gibson, discovering that Emma had a child by a former husband who was institutionalized with anaphylactic shock from a severe food allergy. Emma’s tests were compared with the son finding six points of correlation, proving Gloria innocent of causing her death. Although the judge was appalled at Gloria’s product tampering, he had to set her free of charges in the death of Emma Gibson.
