I was disappointed when Victor apologized to Claire on The Young and the Restless - because I know he’s still playing the game

The recent storyline of The Young and the Restless witnessed a surprising turn of events, with the brazen Victor Newman contrite and apologizing. This came after Audra’s plan failed and Claire made Victor’s role public. The Newman patriarch showed remorse for his meddling and even congratulated Kyle for passing his test. However, true to his image he warned the Abbott scion of keeping his eyes on the relationship.

As a longtime viewer of The Young and the Restless, I find it tough to believe Victor’s apology is genuine. Since the Newman patriarch never climbs down his high horse, there is something disturbing about him accepting his move as a wrong one. Moreover, I believe he may not have given up the game completely. Whether his move is to improve his image for Claire’s sake remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Claire is already doubting Kyle and has shared the same with Holden. On the other hand, Audra has broken up with Nate after he questioned her actions on the long-running CBS soap. With enough mayhem caused in two romances, Victor can afford to sit back and concentrate on Cane.

The Young and the Restless: What brought on Victor’s apology?

Victor remained unhappy about Claire’s choice of a romantic partner from the very start. His main argument was that Kyle was an Abbott and likely to fail in the relationship. He started by offering Kyle a large sum of money to walk out of Claire’s life. When the young Abbott refused him, Victor tried a nastier trick.

Victor offered to fund Audra’s newly established company in return for her services in breaking up Kyle and Claire. Victor picked Audra since she was Kyle’s former lover, besides one with a disreputable character.

As Audra put her plan into action, Kyle seemed to play along. He called her bluff at Nice as Audra made a move for an intimate moment. He claimed to have played along to see the extent of her scheme. Moreover, the Abbott scion also informed Victor that his dirty deal with Audra had failed.

Back home, the Newman head scrapped the funding of Audra’s Vibrante since her plan failed. However, she claimed that she is planting seeds of doubt in Claire’s mind. Besides suggesting to Claire that the latter’s boyfriend couldn’t keep his hands off his ex, Audra made a killing move by kissing Kyle when Claire could see.

While Claire started doubting Kyle’s version of the events with the schemer, she proceeded to expose Audra in front of Nate. Unable to explain herself to Nate, despite trying to shift the blame on Kyle, Audra broke up with her boyfriend. 

Meanwhile, Thursday, August 21, 2025, saw Victor reminisce about all his actions in the Claire-Kyle romance. In a surprising move, he reached out to his granddaughter and apologized for interference. He explained that it all came from his desire to protect her and promised to step aside from her romantic life henceforth. With that, the grandfather hugged his granddaughter tearfully.

Victor next summoned Kyle and told him that he passed the test of a loyal lover for his granddaughter. He showed his approval for Kyle but cautioned that he would continue to remain alert about his failure.

The Young and the Restless: Is Victor’s apology sincere?

Victor was shown remembering all his actions to pull Claire and Kyle apart on The Young and the Restless. He followed this up with his apology and the guarantee of leaving the couple alone. He also seemed concerned about Claire’s heartbreak when he warned Kyle.

However, as mentioned before, I believe, Victor’s apology may be one of his smart moves. He may know that his secret deal with Audra is already out. While he cut Audra off his ploy due to her failure, he may have realized that things were not very rosy between Claire and Kyle. As such, an apology made him patch up with his granddaughter and win her trust back.

If the romance dwindles in the future, Claire will never blame her grandfather. Moreover, the Newman head can then go after Kyle as he warned. This way, I think, Victor can play the good cop while maintaining his rivalry with the Abbotts.

Stay tuned to The Young and the Restless to catch the drift of Claire’s romantic arc in the upcoming episodes.