Victoria Rowell Lawsuit, Press Conference Update: Former ‘Young And Restless’ Star Speaks Out

Former Young and the Restless star Victoria Rowell has filed a lawsuit against CBS and Sony over what she says is retaliation for comments she’s made in the past. The actress says that after she spoke out about the lack of African Americans working in the soap opera industry, she was refused the opportunity to return to the soap. After the lawsuit was filed, Rowell held a press conference to speak on the situation.

Soap Opera Digest shares details from Victoria Rowell’s lawsuit press conference. As was previously shared via the Inquisitr, Rowell says that she has tried to act again with either The Young and the Restless or sister soap The Bold and the Beautiful, and she has been shut out. She believes this is due to her choice to vocalize her frustrations about the lack of African Americans both in front of and behind the camera on soap operas.

In her press conference after the lawsuit made headlines, Rowell discussed the situation.

“This is a profound moment for me as an African American woman, who wishes to continue to live the American dream. I always advocated for myself and was taught to do so after 18 years in foster care, and I advocated for others and was taught to do so. So, this is not about me, this is about myself and many, many African Americans who have been denied the right to perform in front of and behind the camera, specifically on Young and Restless.“

As CBS Soaps in Depth shares, Rowell said that the soap genre is “an incestuous industry, and it has retaliated against me.” Victoria’s lawsuit and statements are generating a lot of buzz both in support of and against her efforts. For those who support her, she shares via Twitter that she has put together a couple of petitions on Change.org, and she encourages her fans to show their support by signing them.

Details from the lawsuit indicate that she wants compensation for the alleged retaliation she’s endured, and she also says she is still seeking a return to the soap. As Young and Restless fans know, the family surrounding her former character is in the middle of a very heavy storyline right now, with teases that someone from the Winters family may perish in a plane crash this coming week. While the time may be ripe for a return of Drucilla Winters, Victoria Rowell’s lawsuit makes that highly unlikely, at least for now it would seem.

Will former Young and the Restless star Victoria Rowell prevail in her lawsuit? She’s clearly ready to take this all the way, and fans will be curious to see what comes next.

[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]