‘The Young and the Restless’: 3 of Victor Newman’s Biggest Health Scares
For over 40 years, Eric Braeden has entertained viewers of the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless in his role as the cunning and ruthless corporate billionaire Victor Newman. While the actor was only supposed to be in Y&R for eight to 12 weeks, he has evolved to become a leading man on the long-running soap.
Through the years, residents of Genoa City have seen the Newman patriarch shot, beaten up, and with amnesia. Here are three of Mr. Newman’s biggest health scares.
Victor Newman was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy
Victor was told he had temporal lobe epilepsy in an episode that aired on July 17, 2006. His family was shocked to learn that what they thought was a kinder Victor was a man suffering from TLE because of a head injury he got when trying to save Nikki Newman from a carjacking.
Before the episode, Victor had been acting strangely. According to Today, he had hallucinations and blackouts, hired his sworn enemy, gave his children control of the family business, spent quality time with his wife, and doted on his grandchildren — all things very out of character for Victor Newman.
CBS aired public service advertisements with Eric Braeden after the on-screen diagnosis in an effort to raise TLE awareness. “People with epilepsy can live very successful and seizure-free lives,” said the actor.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a long-term disorder of the nervous system that causes seizures that start in the brain’s temporal lobe and last for about a minute or two. Causes of TLE vary and may include but are not limited to brain tumors, infections, structural lesions, head trauma, and traumatic brain injury.
Victor Newman was diagnosed with PNH
In 2019, Victor was diagnosed with Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. The billionaire had initially tried to hide his condition from everyone and sought treatment from Dr. Nate Hastings. However, Nikki noticed that something was really wrong with her husband and pressed him to talk to her. Once she realized the truth, she pushed Victor to tell everyone in the family. He complied, breaking the news to Victoria, Nick, Abby, and Adam.
Victor was clearly struggling to deal with everything, despite his best efforts to remain strong in the face of an uncertain future. As a last resort, the businessman had to take an experimental medicine that came with some undesirable side effects when conventional therapies failed.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an extremely rare, potentially fatal blood disorder. The disease causes red blood cells to die, blood clots to form, and the bone marrow to stop working properly.
Victor Newman had a heart attack during a confrontation with Jack
On The Young and the Restless, Victor and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) have been rivals for decades, during which time they have done horrific things to one another. The duo’s animosity originates from their shared history and the competition between their family businesses.
Over the years, the two rivals have frequently come to blows, yelling at each other in company offices and occasionally flinging chairs. However, the tensions of one clash nearly led to fatal consequences when Victor collapsed on the floor with what appeared to be a heart attack.
As Victor urged Jack to call for aid, Jack stood there, knowing that if he did nothing, Victor would die, which, given their long history as enemies, might not be the worst thing that could happen. However, Jack called an ambulance, and Victor’s life was saved, according to Fandom.
Eric Braeden is in great health
Eric Braeden has done such a good job portraying Victor Newman that when the character is ill, viewers might wonder if the actor is in good health. In 2018, the Daytime Emmy winner took to Twitter to put rumors and questions regarding his health to rest. Today, the actor is 81 years old and shows no signs of slowing down. The actor is very dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, his fitness, and his role in The Young and the Restless.
