Melody Thomas Scott has starred in The Young and the Restless for over four decades as the luminous Nikki Newman, and while her character is one half of a super couple with Victor Newman, Melody boasts a real-life love match of her own.
The 69-year-old has been married to her husband, Edward Scott, since 1985, having met on the set of Y&R when he worked as a producer on the show.
The pair share three daughters and are proud of their blended family, with Melody often sharing insights into her family dynamic.
Join HELLO! as we discover all about the soap star's husband and three children.
Edward Scott
© Getty ImagesThe father of three joined the show in 1976 as an associate producer, three years before his future wife nabbed her role as Nikki. In her memoir, Always Young and Restless: My Life On and Off America's #1 Daytime Drama, Melody wrote that there was no instant connection between the pair, and their relationship was more of a slow burn.
"There wasn't any sort of on-set controversy. It was more like, I didn't care for him, and he didn't care for me," she recalled. She added that as he came out of his shell, "his personality began to shine through." Edward proposed in 1984 and the couple married a year later in a sweet ceremony.
"As the years passed he would do things to keep our marriage fresh and exciting. He would plan all of these unbelievable trips, usually keeping most details a surprise for me," she shared.
© FilmMagic for Us Weekly MagazineThe 80-year-old left Y&R in 2010 to work on The Bold and the Beautiful as a producer, yet returned to his old job in October 2024 for the show's 13,000th episode.
"It's just like old times. For so many decades, he was here, and that's how we met, so it's like all home week. It really, it's like business as usual," Melody told People of her husband's return to Y&R.
"It's funny. We were making jokes about that yesterday. I told him I was going to call HR on him," she quipped.
Alexandra Yeaggy
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyAlexandra is Melody's eldest daughter, whom she welcomed with her former partner and Y&R makeup artist Carlos Yeaggy. She owns her own company, Yeaggy Bridal, and one of her gowns was featured on the show in 2021.
Alexandra shared that she found her love of designing by running around the set of Y&R as a child. "I absolutely lived in the costume and make-up departments," she told Soapsdotcom. "I'm sure I created total havoc, trying on all the shoes and opening up the felt drawer. It was a wonderful place to be, and I knew that I'd found my passion."
She recalled how special it was to see her mother in her element as a young child. "It was such an honor to see that people were so taken with my mother," Alexandra said. "It was very sweet to see the level of love and respect that the fans really have for her."
Elizabeth Scott
© Corbis via Getty ImagesElizabeth is Melody's only child with Edward and has acted in Y&R, Common Senses and Venice. Growing up, the soap actress shared with Soap Opera Digest that Elizabeth was "straight from God in an angel package," who was a "teacher's pet", while Alexandra was more "impulsive" and "a rough-and-tumble-kid".
Melody later revealed to Smashing Interviews that Elizabeth couldn't stand to see her mother cry on screen, believing she was really in pain.
"If Nikki was on the screen crying, she would get so mad and huff out of the room. She'd say, 'I hate this show!' I found out much later it was because she didn't like to see mommy upset. She didn't like to see her crying," the 69-year-old recalled.
Jennifer Scott
© WireImageJennifer is Melody's stepdaughter and Edward's daughter from a previous marriage, although she is just as close with her as her own children. Jennifer has worked on both Y&R and The Bold and the Beautiful as an assistant director, following closely in her parent's footsteps.
Melody opened up about how parenting her three daughters allowed her to heal her inner child after suffering abuse as a young kid. "There was a chance to correct so much that went wrong when I was a child. I intentionally chose the exact opposite of the decisions that were made for me," she told People. "Now to watch them grow into beautiful women, with their own children, I am so proud and happy."
"It gave me an opportunity to raise a child in a way that I was not raised," she added. "That became very important to me."
