Comings and Goings: J Eddie Peck (dearly) departs The Young and the Restless

On The Young and the Restless, fans of J. Eddie Peck had no choice but to watch fan-favorite character, Cole Howard, leave behind his loved ones as he passed away in the hospital.

J. Eddie Peck leaves The Young and the Restless

J. Eddie Peck has been best known as Cole Howard on The Young and the Restless for a very long time. The actor joined the show in 1993 and although he was romantically involved with other characters over the years, Cole was a great love, if not THE great love of Victoria Newman’s (Amelia Heinle) life. On today’s episode, Victoria and Cole shared their last kiss as he took his last breath.

Peck has come and gone from the show several times, with his last return in 2023 as his and Victoria’s daughter, Eve — aka Claire — was introduced. Claire (Hayley Erin) had been kidnapped as a baby and raised by Cole’s aunt Jordan — yes, the infamous Aunt Jordan (Colleen Zenk). Even after they discovered that their daughter was alive, it still took some time for Claire to bond with her parents. Just when they couldn’t be closer, they were broken apart again, this time permanently.

Cole Howard dies

After several decades and many arguments, Cole had finally been accepted by Victoria’s father, Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). He had been working for Newman Enterprises in their publishing department and had recently gone on a business trip to Europe. However, when he returned, Cole was sick.

At first, Cole insisted he should stay in his room in the Genoa City Athletic Club. But Victoria and Claire got rooms in the hotel as well, so they could continue to take care of him. As Cole’s condition worsened, they convinced him to get medical help. Soon, Cole was admitted to the hospital,l but they weren’t sure at first what was wrong. They thought it could be pneumonia, but it turned out that Cole had Legionnaires’ Disease.

Nate (Sean Dominic) advised Victoria and Claire that the doctors were doing the right thing: trying to find the right combination of antibiotics that would work with Cole’s body. However, it seems time ran out before they could.

How will life change for Claire and Victoria without Cole?

While Cole and Victoria thought their love was comparable to a happily ever after fairytale, it was also a slow burn. Even Nick (Joshua Morrow) joked that everyone (including viewers) thought the pair were living together, but they weren’t for all these years. It was likely a pre-emptive detail before Cole’s demise, but also a possible signal that it will make it easier for Victoria to move on quickly. Could there be a new (or possible old) relationship for her soon?

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As for Claire, she already regrets not saying goodbye to her dad, but she had barely had time to process the news before he was gone. With her boyfriend Kyle (Michael Mealor) out of town and unable to communicate with anyone, will she turn to Holden (Nathan Owens) for comfort?

Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS or stream on Paramount Plus.

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