There could very well be another high-profile exit looming for The Bold and the Beautiful. Just a few days after confirming that Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy) is "taking a break" from the show -- and less than a year after the exits of Susan Flannery (Stephanie Forrester) and Ronn Moss (Ridge Forrester) -- comes word from Hunter Tylo (Taylor Forrester) that she is now off-contract with the CBS soap.
"I am getting bombarded with questions to quell rumors, and here in my forum, I will clarify that Jackie and I are (coincidentally) off our contracts," Tylo posted on her official web site, HunterTylo.com. "I have been very successful outside of B&B and I have no doubt she will be too. And more so, because she is free and single to travel all over the world."
Fans had sought Tylo's inside information on whether or not Woods was permanently leaving B&B, as Soap Opera Digest reported, or taking a temporary hiatus to work on a non-soap project, as the show asserted in a statement.
"For me, contract talks ended four weeks ago," Tylo added. "I am moving forward and opening back up to the thousands of acting roles available, writing and pursuing my skin care line. My friends and B&B fans will be sorely missed. But don't worry! I'll keep you posted of my every new adventure."
In a strange bit of timing, Tylo's final scheduled appearance as Taylor will be July 3, which also happens to be Tylo's birthday.
Being off contract with a soap doesn't necessarily mean that the actor won't appear on-screen again. Tylo has exited B&B in the past, only to return with front-burner story, so it is uncertain if that could be the case again.
TV Guide reports that Tylo and B&B are still engaged in contract talks, and that Tylo's permanent exit is not yet a done deal.
Born Deborah Jo Hunter, Tylo appeared as street waif Robin McCall for three years on All My Children before tackling the role of the wicked Marina Toscano on Days of our Lives. Tylo joined the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful in 1990. She exited in 2002 before returning full-time to the show in April 2005.
