Hunter King out at The Young and the Restless, costar confirms

The other shoe has now dropped. Though widely -- but unofficially -- known for more than a month, there is now confirmation that Hunter King has exited her role as Summer Newman on The Young and the Restless.

Though it has been rumored for more than a month, there is now confirmation that Hunter King's (Summer Newman) time on The Young and the Restless has come to an end.

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The confirmation came by way of an Instagram post from King's on-screen mom, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers) that shared "a little love" for both King and Michael Mealor (Kyle Abbott). Mealor confirmed his exit from the CBS soap last month.

"I love them both SO much!! I will miss them. I want so badly for them to jump and follow their dreams and really make it happen. I believe in them completely. They are Super Stars," Stafford wrote, adding that she hopes the two performers can "stop by" from time to time.

In early July, rumors surfaced that contract talks with CBS broke down for both stars. By mid-July, Mealor took to social media to confirm that his "time as we know it" on The Young and the Restless was "coming to a close."

King has made no official comment on her Y&R status. In fact, the actress has made no soap-related posts on any of her social media accounts since late-May's Daytime Emmys.

Somewhat ironically, Mealor's exit was also prematurely leaked by a Y&R castmate. Jason Thompson (Billy Abbott) spilled the beans on Twitter -- then deleted his message to allow Mealor to make his own announcement.

Hunter King took on the role of Y&R's Summer in 2012 and took a two-year hiatus in 2016 before returning in 2018. Some of her other credits include Life in Pieces, Hollywood Heights, and Dexter. She has won two Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Younger Actress category for her work on Y&R (in 2014 and 2015).

Michael Mealor took over the role of Kyle Abbott in 2018, having previously starred on series like Supergirl, Roadies, and Chasing Life. The Georgia native has a modeling background that includes work with Coca-Cola and Abercrombie & Fitch, and he has appeared in music videos for Lady Gaga and Britney Spears.

The Young and the Restless has made no statement about King and Mealor's exits, though it is typically show policy to not comment on contracts.

What do you think about Hunter King and Michael Mealor exiting Y&R? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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