By Poushali Guharauth
Cole Howard of The Young and the Restless died, leaving his onscreen family and the soap’s viewers shocked. As actor J Eddie Peck exited the show, the character’s unexpected demise left his bereaved family lonely. The cause of Cole’s death was explained to be a lack of response to antibiotics that treat Legionnaires’ disease, something he contracted while on one of his business trips.As expected, this sudden death drove The Young and the Restless fans to social media, where they opined on his departure. One fan, identifying as Lynn Eberly commented:”Because the writers don’t know what they are doing.”A fan reaction about Cole’s death (Image via Facebook/@Young and Restless Canadian Day Ahead Recaps)Lynn was responding to a post by Judith Miller on the show’s Facebook fan page. Miller questioned the reason behind bringing Cole back into The Young and the Restless storyline if they wanted to kill him off midway.The original Facebook post (Image via Facebook/@Young and Restless Canadian Day ahead Recaps)Many viewers replied to the post expressing views similar to Lynn’s, blaming the writers. Fan responses on the post about Cole (Image via Facebook/@Young and Restless Canadian Day Ahead Recaps)Some of them pointed out how that may affect Claire and Victoria’s story arcs.Fan comments on the effects of Cole’s death (Image via Facebook/@Young and Restless Canadian Day Ahead Recaps)The discussion led to speculations of who may survive the town. While some fans emphasised that Cole stayed in the role longer than was intended, others thought he might not really be dead.More fan reactions on the same thread (Image via Facebook/@Young and Restless Canadian Day Ahead Recaps)The Young and the Restless: Revisiting Cole’s departure plot View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAs longtime The Young and the Restless fans know, Cole was introduced as a baby to the soap in 1980-81, leaving the town for more than a decade. An adult Cole returned to relationship complications involving Nikki, Victoria and Ashley. A turning point in his marriage with Victoria was the loss of their daughter shortly after birth. They were informed that the child died when, in reality, the baby was kidnapped by Jordan. Disgusted by Ashley’s demands after their marriage, Cole left the town in 1993.In 2023, Jordan manipulated him back with the Newmans, planning to kill them all in revenge. While they survived, Cole learnt that his daughter was alive, as did Victoria. They reunited with their long-lost daughter, Claire. As the family settled into a fresh start, Cole joined Victor’s company as an employee.He returned from one of his business trips with a cough which worsened over time. While he refused to get medical attention, he had a coughing fit during Nikki’s birthday bash on Tuesday’s episode, dated June 3, 2025. His worried family went for a medical consultation, and Cole was admitted to a medical institution in Chicago.Also Read: “This chapter of my journey on The Young and the Restless comes to a close,” — Actor J. Eddie Peck address the end of Cole Howard’s journey View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe Young and the Restless episode of Wednesday, July 2, 2025, found Victoria explaining the situation. She explained to Adam that Cole’s body was not responding to the antibiotics, leaving him without a cure. Since his condition deteriorated, he was shifted back to town.Victoria and Claire went to meet Cole just as the latter awoke from his sleep. He reaffirmed his love for them and asked Victoria to take care of their daughter. He also informed Claire that he was proud of her. After kissing his wife, J Eddie Peck’s Cole passed away.Victoria and Claire were seen trying to grieve alone. They tried to be brave for each other but broke down in private. The Newmans will return from their trip to France to this devastating news.Also Read: I was heartbroken watching Cole Howard say goodbye—this The Young and the Restless scene broke meStay tuned to The Young and the Restless to know how the extended family reacts to Cole’s death.