When the cameras stop rolling in Genoa City, the stars of The Young and the Restless step off the set and into the real-life dramas, romances, and partnerships that mirror — or sometimes contrast — their on-screen lives. From steadfast unions that span decades to relationships born in the limelight of soap opera sets, these love stories reveal how the actors behind these iconic characters balance fame, performance and private devotion.

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A Legacy of Commitment: Eric Braeden & Dale Russell

For more than half a century, one figure has stood as the bedrock of daytime drama: Eric Braeden, the actor who has played tycoon Victor Newman since 1980. Off-screen, his real-life romance with college sweetheart Dale Russell (now Gudegast) rivals any soap opera plot for loyalty and endurance. The pair met at Santa Monica College and married in 1966.
While Victor’s on-screen relationships are turbulent, fraught with betrayals, power plays and reinvented alliances, Braeden’s marriage has been characterized by a quieter drama: the kind of daily devotion behind the scenes that rarely makes headlines but holds up through time, careers and transitions.
Dale has quietly supported Eric’s storied career — while he has taken Victor’s ruthless, calculating persona to soap-icon status, she has maintained their homefront stability. In an interview commemorating 40 years of Victor, Braeden credited his “wife” for being his anchor. 
Their enduring bond offers a powerful counterpoint to Victor’s many onscreen marriages: in a world of alliances forged and broken, theirs was formed long before Genoa City ever came into existence.

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On-Screen Chemistry Meets Off-Screen Romance: Bryton James & Brytni Sarpy

Whereas Braeden’s romance is rooted in the long game, the tale of Bryton James and Brytni Sarpy is rooted in the immediacy of onscreen sparks and the unpredictable blend of work and life. James, who plays Devon Hamilton, and Sarpy, who joined the cast as Elena Dawson, sparked chemistry on the show in 2019 — and that spark leapt off camera when, in May 2019, they began dating in real life. 
Their coupling is a classic case of life imitating art: Devon and Elena’s romantic storylines are steeped in misdirection, passion and emotional risk, and their real-life relationship leveraged that same intensity in off-screen moments. Sarpy even admitted that their shared morning hikes and moving into a condo together early in the pandemic helped cement the bond. 
What makes their story compelling is how it intertwines with the soap’s own dramatic arcs. The characters’ tumultuous triangle involving Devon, Elena and Nate Hastings (Sean Dominic) became real-life fodder as James and Sarpy navigated both an evolving relationship and overlapping character storylines on the show. 
Yet, as with any drama off-set, their story has its uncertainties. Though they publicly marked milestones, there were rumors of a split in early 2023 — unconfirmed yet undeniable in their absence from shared social media
Their relationship illustrates the complex balancing act actors on long-running soaps face: building real personal lives while living characters whose experiences often bleed into that “real” world.

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Spotlight on Love Behind the Scenes

Beyond these two very different relationships, several other cast members of The Young and the Restless offer further insight into how this genre of television affects love lives.

• Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott) has been married to his wife, Mariellen, for decades, a stability rare in his show’s world full of betrayals, boardroom battles and breakups.

• Doug Davidson (Paul Williams) tied the knot in 1984 with fellow cast-member Cindy Fisher from the show, a union rooted directly in on-set meetings and friendships.

These relationships underscore distinct patterns: long-term marriages that outlive characters and story arcs, and newer romance sparked by on-set chemistry and shared time in one of daytime TV’s most grueling formats.

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Balancing Love and Fame: What It Takes

For daytime soap stars, balancing a romantic partnership with the demands of fame and production is no small task. Filming schedules are intense, characters may require rapid shifts in emotional tone, and storylines often bleed into the actors’ public personas.
Take Braeden: playing Victor Newman meant immersing himself in cycles of betrayal, dominance and redemption — yet his private life has remained almost radically grounded. The contrast itself becomes part of the narrative: one actor known for playing power and manipulation, living a quieter, enduring personal story.
For James and Sarpy, the overlap between on-screen romance and off-screen relationship adds both privilege and pressure. The constant proximity, the shared workspace and the collective investment from fans in both their fictional and real-life pairing elevate the stakes. Sarpy admitted that being intimate on-screen — even when the storyline demanded betrayal or misdirection — became “a dark place” to portray when personal feelings were involved.
It also raises questions about how much of their personal identities must stay private. When viewers watch Devon and Elena, they’re also aware of Bryton and Brytni — making it difficult to fully separate actor from character, performance from person.
Couples face unique obstacles: timing, fame, speculation, and the spectacle of being “the soap star couple.” Some thrive; others quietly fade away.

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Why These Stories Matter

Fandoms love to see behind the curtain — and when couples like Braeden/Russell and James/Sarpy open that curtain, we’re given a glimpse into how real life intersects with genre television. Their stories matter for several reasons:

• Longevity vs. Lightning: Braeden/Russell represent the enduring marriage, steady on and off camera. James/Sarpy embody the immediacy and intensity of modern on-set romance.

• Character vs. Person: Victor Newman wanders from marriage to marriage in Genoa City; Braeden’s real life is dramatically stable. Devon and Elena’s storyline in many ways mirrors the beginning chapter of James and Sarpy’s real-life romance.

• Reality Amid Fiction: Soap operas are built on escalated emotion, heightened conflict and perpetual reinvention. Real-life relationships operating in that ecosystem have to negotiate fame, script changes, public scrutiny and the disparity between on-screen and off-screen selves.

• Impact on Audience: Fans love rooting for on-screen couples — and when those couples exist off-screen, the narrative becomes richer. It enhances engagement, blurs fiction and reality, and makes soap-watching a more immersive experience.

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Final Take

From the rock-solid foundation of Eric Braeden and Dale Russell’s marriage — a quiet triumph of loyalty in a world of shifting alliances — to the more volatile but emotionally charged pairing of Bryton James and Brytni Sarpy, the real-life relationships behind The Young and the Restless reflect as much drama, contrast and complexity as the storylines on the screen.

In a realm built on twists, betrayals, comebacks and reinventions, these stars show that love — whether enduring or emerging — is one of the most compelling plots of all. And for viewers with an eye both on Genoa City and beyond, these partnerships offer a fascinating look at how the men and women of daytime television build their lives after the cameras keep rolling.

So, whether you’re team “long haul” or team “on-set romance,” one thing is clear: behind every sweeping boardroom betrayal or jaw-dropping cliffhanger lies a human story of connection, partnership and sometimes, enduring love.

Let’s watch the video to unveil more surprising real-life romances behind the Genoa City drama!