What happened on The Young and the Restless today? Recap for December 16, 2025

The Young and the Restless episode aired on December 16, 2025, brought the negative results from Victor Newman’s most recent attempt to gain control, leaving Genoa City split and moving quickly to deal with the situation. As Jabot suffered from being publicly exposed and disorder inside the company, unlikely partnerships started to be created.

In the middle of everything was Phyllis Summers, whose decisions changed who had the power. Stressed feelings increased all over town as uncertainty grew and faithfulness was challenged. Daniel questioned Phyllis’ reasons, while the Newman group felt surprising discomfort following their victory with the media.

At the same time, the Abbotts tried hard to figure out whether their company could get better or if Victor had finally done too much this time. By the close of the hour, the main attention turned to careful planning and staying strong.

With Jabot’s future unclear and the danger of Artificial Intelligence getting closer, the Abbotts considered a dangerous action that could completely change everything. Phyllis might have supported the wrong person, but a very appealing new proposal gave her an opportunity for retaliation.

The Young and the Restless recap for the episode aired on Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Daniel questions Phyllis’ true agenda

At Crimson Lights, Daniel became uncertain about how strongly Phyllis reacted to the Jabot crisis. He suggested she might be concealing information, which immediately made her defensive. Feeling insulted by the suggestion, Phyllis stopped the discussion and left quickly and angrily, making Daniel even more sure that she had hidden purposes.

After she had left, Daniel spoke quietly about Phyllis looking “so guilty” and chose to include Summer in his worries. Speaking on the phone, he explained that Phyllis’ actions did not make sense and he was concerned she was involved in something dangerous.

Though Daniel did not have actual evidence, his instincts told him Phyllis was further mixed up in this problem than she was prepared to say.

Victor and Adam face backlash at the ranch

At the Newman ranch, Victor noticed Adam was not celebrating their successful media attack against Jabot. Adam’s distress was clear, but Victor quickly ended the discussion, insisting there was no reason to feel bad when it involved defeating Jack.

To Victor, this was a business matter, not a personal one. Chelsea soon arrived, very angry that she was completely surprised by the public attack. She demanded explanations, accusing both Victor and Adam of keeping her unaware of the situation.

They claimed the chance appeared unexpectedly, and after some strained arguments, Chelsea unwillingly accepted their reason, though the faith clearly was not completely re-established.

Phyllis worries Victor is playing her

Later, Phyllis met alone with Victor and expressed her strong annoyance over Jabot’s sudden failure. She admitted she was beginning to regret giving over the AI program as a tool for influence, especially if there would not be a company remaining for her to manage.

The understanding strongly affected her that she might have given away her most powerful advantage too early. Victor urged her to relax, insisting he could not have guessed Jack’s extreme choice to shut down Jabot completely.

He stated that everything was still happening as it was planned, but Phyllis was not convinced. She straightforwardly asked whether Victor planned to withdraw from their agreement and abandon her with nothing, causing the beginning of serious uncertainty about whether he would remain faithful.

Sally and Billy debate damage control

At the jazz lounge, Sally suggested using Abbott Communications to promote good news stories about Jabot and argue against Victor’s version of events. Billy listened but finally advised against the idea, explaining that it would appear like they were only serving themselves and could have a bad opposite effect. Sally unwillingly agreed, realizing that being less direct might be their only possible choice.

The Abbotts search for a way out

At the Abbott mansion, Jack, Diane, and Kyle evaluated the harm and worried about whether Jabot could actually get better. The atmosphere was serious and sad as they recognized how deeply Victor’s attack had hurt them. When Billy joined them later, the talk became focused on blaming others. 

Diane suggests Nikki may have leaked their plans, but Jack immediately shuts that down, firmly defending her. Billy backs his brother, redirecting the focus to what really matters, neutralizing the AI threat and stopping Victor’s momentum.

A risky plan involving Phyllis

As different ideas were suggested, Phyllis’ name came up as a possible way to solve the problem. The group reached an agreement that she could be convinced to betray Victor if given the correct motivation. Billy volunteered to talk to her, believing he could arrange a deal that would satisfy her desire to succeed.

Jack confessed he was ready to offer almost anything to rescue Jabot, emphasizing just how critical the situation had become. With Billy getting ready to make his proposal, Phyllis seemed likely to get an offer that could completely change her future and finally give the Abbotts an opportunity to fight back.

Catch The Young and the Restless on CBS and Paramount+.