BREAKING NEWS: Eric Braeden "I Pulled The Plug"

Good riddance.

Maybe they'll start focusing on the Chancellors again. One can dream...

This is a damn shame!! SMH I have feeling that this isn't quite over yet, Sony will give in.

Sony acting arrogantly? Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black.

If Eric Braeden is in fact leaving, now is not the time for Maria Arena Bell/Hogan Sheffer/Scott Hamner/Paul Rauch to continue on with their vision for Y&R. They aren't strong enough writers to gradually transition a show, hell they can't even transition organically between story arcs.

So much of the show is built around the Victor character and numerous characters revolve around him in some way. The show would need a major overhauling, which it already needs anyway. Stronger character writing, stronger relationship dynamics between characters, and just good soap storytelling that isn't the bizarre trash we have now are all a must.

All of this needs to be done regardless, but especially if Braeden doesn't want to come back. This writing team are not the people for that kind of delicate job, and given what we've gotten for the past 6-7 months or so, I dread the ways such a loss would impact the show with this writing team writing the show.

This show needs a thorough overhauling of all things that aren't working, whether it be characters, actors, storylines, relationships, whatever, there needs to be some type of change. Not saying that the overhaul show should give the show yet another identity change (I don't even think Y&R has a true identity under the Maria Bell/Sheffer/Hamner regime), but a refocusing and and zeroing on bare essentials and the core of the show, while establishing fresh stories and well-developed character, whether they be old characters or new characters (which this current regime fails miserably at). For that we needs a stronger and more competent writers.

What's Claire Labine doing? Y&R could use her storytelling talents.

Did this man truly expected Y&R, after having it's budget dramatically slashed, to pay him for a year and a half the same salary he had while the show had 8 million viewers and with CBS full support? Does he lives in a bubble? Is he that full of himself? And could he just shut up already?!

Well since he is gone Y&R needs to get Victoria Rowell back IMMEDIATELY. After all this bad press about EB a headline that Victoria Rowell is coming back would be just the headline that we Y&R could use.

I so agree. What better way to stop the drop in rating than bringing a back a more equally talented & popular actress like VR. Y&R could use her despite the fact that rumor has it some stars (MS & CLB) will walk if comes back. But EB needs to suck it up and take the damn cut. If he is not going to do this for the fans he can @ least do it for the memory of Bill Bell, who made Victor Newman the myth he is now. It's growing old with actors bitching about taking pay cuts. It really is. I feel the ONLY actor on this show that can bitch about a paycut is Jeanne Cooper as she is Y&R (IMO) and is an original cast member. If Jeanne was to whine about a pay cut, I'd be all for it but Eric needs to get over it. If Susan Lucci can take one, so can he. Eric, just take the cut and move on. His constant whining and interviews are doing him no justice whatsoever.

So can Eric Braeden finally shut the f**k up now and stop his pity me tour in the press? Dude had a job, he didn't want to take a pay cut when Sony had every legal right to review the salary terms of his employment, yet he's spouting this rhetoric about good will even though he wants to ignore a salient provision of his contract when millions are out of a job. Enough. He's got money to retire, and he has so much nerve to think that he deserves better when his female counterparts had to acquiesce and make less money than he. Victor Newman's time is done, thank God.

This is one hell of a birthday present. LOL

The way I understand it, EB took a pay cut when he signed the current contract. He's offered two more pay cuts and Sony won't accept it. I can't blame EB. He's done his part. I see the ratings fall enough for Sony to bring him back somewhere down the line. If not, good luck to EB and Y&R.

Ding Dong, the witch is dead. Which old witch? The wicked witch. Ding Dong, the wicked witch is dead.

This TUCKER guy needs to be Drake Hogestyn or Ben Master. Oh, i love me some Ben Masters.

How many interviews is this now for Eric Braeden? What will tomorrows headline be? "I know yesterday I said I pulled the plug, but the drain was clogged."

Maybe I'm missing something but isn't this the same ol' spiel he's been doing for a week now?

Go away EB, play some golf.

This man need to shut the eff up.
I dont get it, is Eric upset that Sony asked me him to take a pay-cut or is he upset that he think he is beyond taking a pay cut?

In the case of the latter, I really dont expect that Eric will garner the respect of his fans when he is complaining that his two million dollar salary shouldn't be touched when most people are barely getting by with their unemployment check. Or barely getting by with an insufficient pay check. Major banks executives are all subject to significant salary negotiations so I dont see why Eric think he is beyond negotiating. Also he knew this clause of salary re-negotiations was in his contract before hand.

I dont want to belittle the man's work, because the character he plays on TV is purely fictional and nothing else. I know some of us cannot separate the man from the character he plays. Likewise I dont know him personally either. So as a typical American who sees the country economy as being unstable, I cannot support Eric stubbornness for wanting more money when the rest of us is barely getting by.

Eric just needs to shut up now.

so long you arrogant SOB!

I think a shake-up like this is the best thing that could happen to the show. It definitely needs some shaking up and needs not to rely so heavily on TGVN.

This should rile up those who are so willing to let a 30 year vet, star of the show just slip by.
If you accepted a contract in your job last year, and then would be canned mid-contract if you didn't take a huge pay cut, would you???????
I don't worship this actor, but he is key to many, many goings on at Y and R.
I also think MAB and Rauch have brought a hell of a lot of good things to the show, and some controversial current storylines create story for years to come.
This show receives a daily audience in Canada of over a million viewers out of a 30 million population. The Nielsens in the US have got to be out of whack for a country with 350 million.
Again, I don't worship this character, but think of any show with characters that bug you, but are actually key to much of the show.
Good weekend to all

Yes, Smitty, VR is definitely needed back on the show, I don't care who don't like it, the show only got two years on contract and we don't know if Sony or CBS will keep the show going after that so they need all the help that they can get and VR can bring in the ratings.

"If you accepted a contract in your job last year, and then would be canned mid-contract if you didn't take a huge pay cut, would you???????"

I guess if I wanted to keep my job, I would. But since I've never been paid millions to mumble my lines and looks disinterested in my work, I really wouldn't know.

If this wheezy, whiny old windbag is the only key to Y & R's sucess, then the show is real trouble. And if they cannot handle EB's absence and the ratings fall, then let the show gets cancelled, so be it. I bet we'll all live through it just fine, don't you think?

And VR is the most overrated actress in the history of daytime, right up there with Vanessa Marcil. Dru isn't even as well known as Victor.

Well, I'm proud of Mr. Eric Braeden. You can say what you want about him but a person can only take so much. He's older and probably more wiser and he nor anyone else should have to put up with anyone being disrespectful to them. Its very sad to see him go because I've got hooked on Y&R when I was young and my grandma was always watching it. I watched because of The Winters and Victor Newman because he didn't take shit from no one and I like that even at the age of 8, hahaha. I would have done the same thing. Life is too short to deal with peoples Bullshit.

Yes Dru is not well known, but Victoria Rowell is very well known not only in Hollywood, but also in black community that kept this show number one for over twenty years and the show needs publicity to get ratings and they bring in the ratings. When EB is gone, the show will go down.

I know some of you are happy that EB is leaving but the personal attacks against him is unnecessary. Give me a break people. A lot of you claim to love daytime but if you loved Y&R I don't think this is something that you would be celebrating. I want my soaps to survive and whether you like EB or not loosing Victor Newman will be a huge blow to the show. Just like when Victoria Rowell left the Winters family hasn't been the same. It just surprises me at how people who love this genre thinks that a star of a show leaving is a good thing. It's also amazing that if I go and pull up the Melody Thomas Scott threads with her contract negotiations I am willing to bet money that a lot of you where on her side when it came to taking the paycut.

As a 20 plus years watcher of Y&R I just don't like news like this. It's sad...

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Y&R will be REBORN!!! it may take a little time, but it will happen! Auf Wiedersehn and good riddance EB!

Victor was off-screen for much of last fall during his "Sabrina quest" and the ratings didn't take a tumble. Y&R's ratings won't fall, especially when many people will believe he's coming back (because, despite all these interviews, there's no official word that he's gone-guh-gone).

This is a sad day for Y&R. I'll miss Eric Braeden. He was a great part of Y&R for almost 30 years.

Frankly, I'm sick of people not understanding that Braeden isn't whining, he's fighting back. He took a pay cut previously and would be willing to take another. After working on Y&R for 30 yrs, he expected to receive a personal conversation explaining the situation instead of receiving an email.

Sorry, 30 yrs of service merits more than an email.

It's about respect. Why do so many people accept that it's okay that their employers treat them like repllaceable cogs? Has everyone been so beaten down that they don't recognize their self worth?

This is a colossal error on Sony's part. Had they simply talked to Braeden directly, this situation could have been avoided. How hard would it have been to have called him into an office to talk?

Given the critical time in Y&R's history, I pray that Sony can pull a Days and rescue this show.

Thank you Josstheguy...I knew there was a reason I liked you.

Scout I don't know what Y&R you have been watching but if you asked anyone who has watched Y&R they could tell you who Victoria Rowell is and I would go on to bet my paycheck that a majority of African-americans who watched soaps and those that don't know who she is. She is very well know and I think a lot of people have taken that for granted.

Now they can put the focus back on the core families the of Abbotts and Chancellors & bring back Kay family the Fosters who the core family before the Abbots and Newman came to town....And please get rid of the Fisher family.

Thanks Jillian you are the best.

Maybe now Tricia Cast will be put on contract.

It's also amazing that if I go and pull up the Melody Thomas Scott threads with her contract negotiations I am willing to bet money that a lot of you where on her side when it came to taking the paycut.

Well, you don't want to bet me because you'd lose big. Check my comments and you'll find I thought Melody should've taken the cut too. As a matter of fact, I wrote they should get rid of her. This is no time for diva antics or bruised egos. We are in a recession and soaps are hanging on by a thread.

I want soaps to not only survive but flourish. I love soaps but I have seen other soaps show preferential treatment to their males stars over their equally popular female co-stars. Vanessa Marcil, Tamara Braun and Genie Francis got the shaft while Maurice Bernard, Tony Geary, and Ingo FREAKING Rademacher get stroked by Frons and crew. After the issues with Melody I waited to see what Sony would do when it came time to renegotiate Eric's contract. I worried that the execs wouldn't go as hard on him as they did Melody but they did. I don't think Eric should've been shown any more favor than Melody nor should he have expected to.

I'm not celebrating Eric's departure. I'm celebrating that I didn't see the blatant sexism that I've seen on other shows.