Why Kyle resents Jack and Diane on The Young and the Restless

On The Young and the Restless, there has been a feud brewing that blurs the lines that divide the corporate world from the personal lives of Genoa City residents.

Usually, the two most prominent families—the Newmans and the Abbotts—are battling it out. Whether it's a romance between two members of each family or a company takeover, patriarchs Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) have it out for each other.

Recently, Jack has been at a loss over how to fight a battle that started in his own home. His son, Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor), and his wife, Diane Jenkins (Susan Walter), butted heads, and there seems to be no resolution.

How did Diane "die" on The Young and the Restless?

Diane had been in a relationship with both Jack and Victor. Her son Kyle was supposed to be Victor's child, but his sperm sample had been switched, and it was Jack who fathered the baby.

In 2011, everyone in Genoa City believed Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) killed Diane in self-defense. However, after months of mystery, it was exposed that Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan) had actually been the one who struck Diane's head with a rock.

Diane returned from the dead in 2022 when it was revealed that Deacon had helped Diane fake her death. Diane wanted to frame Victor for her "murder" and left town after, leaving Jack to raise Kyle on his own.

Diane was resurrected, and so were Kyle's feelings

When Diane returned, Jack and Kyle were shocked. The entire time that she'd been gone, everyone had believed she had died. Kyle was too young to remember what his mom's relationships with others were like in 2011, but at the time of her "death," Diane was not liked by most people in Genoa City.

Upon Diane's return on The Young and the Restless, no one rolled out the red carpet for her. Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford), Jack's sister Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson), and Nikki banded together to run Diane back out of town. No one trusted Diane, and most hoped Kyle would not engage with her.

However, not only did Kyle decide to get to know his mom again, but Jack and Diane fell in love and remarried.

How did the Abbott feud begin on The Young and the Restless?

On The Young and the Restless, everything seemed to be going well between Kyle, Diane, and Jack. But Kyle's wife, Summer (Allison Lanier), lied to Kyle about her own mom faking her death, and that triggered Kyle's rage. Suddenly unforgiving, Kyle kicked Summer to the curb.

At work, Diane felt that Kyle was sabotaging her work relationships. He questioned her authority, taking over meetings and changing her decisions. After several warnings, Diane fired Kyle.

Jack had given Diane the right to make decisions, but he didn't try to work out their differences for them at the time. Even after Kyle was fired, Jack respected Diane's decision and did not intervene. He hoped that Kyle and Diane would work it out after they both cooled off.

However, Kyle's resentment toward his mother was starting to grow. Because Jack didn't defend him, Kyle's anger was directed at both of his parents.

What is happening now with Kyle, Jack, and Diane?

Knowing the deep-rooted contempt between the Newmans and the Abbotts, Kyle has been working with Victor to take down Jack's family company, Jabot. Victor became a secret investor in a cosmetics company and hired Kyle to grow it to contend with Kyle's father's company.

On The Young and the Restless, Victor has capitalized on Kyle's contempt and has been working to widen the wedge between Jack and his son. When Diane tried to have a heart-to-heart with Kyle in the park recently, Victor interrupted and told Diane that she was in the wrong and to leave Kyle alone. After ordering Diane to leave the park, Victor encouraged Kyle to resent his parents and continue the feud.

Kyle wants his parents' respect as a businessman, as a father, and as a son. He feels that they discarded him when he was fired by Diane, despite their claims that family comes first. He is also trying to find a new home to move into to get away from them.

This fall, Victor will hit Jack where it hurts the most when his plan of attack divides the Abbott family. Will Kyle and Jack's relationship be permanently fractured? Will Jack sacrifice his marriage to save his son from Victor's control? How far will Kyle's contempt take him, or will Claire (Hayley Erin) be able to reunite the Abbotts before it's too late?

Find out when The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS.