Terry Lester and Lilibet Stern originated Jack and Patty's romance on The Young and the Restless

The original Jack and Patty

On The Young and the Restless, Peter Bergman and Stacy Haiduk have portrayed Jack Abbott and Patty Williams for many years. Longtime viewers know that Terry Lester and Lilibet Stern played the characters four decades ago, when their entanglement first began.

Patty is the younger sister of Paul Williams (Doug Davidson). Their parents, Carl Williams (Bret Hadley) and Mary Williams (Caroly Cromwell), were against the relationship with Jack.

Paul was protective of Patty and the only person who believed there was good in his sibling. He was usually the only one who could get her to listen to reason.

Davidson was let go from the CBS soap in 2020. In 2023, it was revealed that Paul was in Portugal visiting his loved ones. Ironically, his family members began showing up in Genoa City after Y&R celebrated 50 years on CBS that same year.

Paul's wife, Christine (Lauralee Bell), divorced him and married Danny Romalatti (Michael Damian). His daughter Heather Stevens (Val Bloom) returned to town with her daughter Lucy (Lily Brookes O'Briant).

Heather was murdered, and Chris and Lily are no longer on screen. Now, Paul's devious sibling is back and stirring up trouble in Genoa City, but how did it all begin?

Patty and Jack: The Beginning

Lester originated the role of Playboy Jack in 1980, a scoundrel who slept with every Genoa City woman who was willing, including his father's wife, Jill Abbott (Deborah Adair/Jess Walton).

Stern was recast as Patty that same year. She was a teenager who fell head over heels in love, but had she known what the future held, she would have listened to Carl and Mary.

Jack was only using Patty as leverage to impress his father, John Abbott (Jerry Douglas), to gain control of Jabot Cosmetics. On the night before the wedding, Jack slept with Jabot model Diane Jenkins (then Alex Donnelly). Tracy Abbott (Beth Maitland) found out but agreed to keep silent.

The affair continued, and later, a pregnant Patty caught Jack and Diane in bed together, which led her to fall down the steps and miscarry. Some time after this Patty overheard Jack say he only married her to secure his position at Jabot, and she shot him.

The trauma brought on by her husband's actions is what began her mental health journey. Some Y&R fans say Jack sh*t on Patty and keep telling her to go away because she smells bad.

It's ironic that four decades later, Diane caught Patty and Jack in bed together, although he was drugged and not fully aware of what was happening. Diane is furious, but surely she realizes that karma has taken a bite out of her.

Where are Terry Lester and Lilibet Stern today?

Lester left the CBS soap in 1989 and was replaced by Bergman. He continued his career in daytime television as Mason Capwell on Santa Barbara and Royce Keller on As the World Turns.

Sadly, Terry Lester passed away on November 28, 2003, at the age of 53. Initial reports indicated he died of a heart attack, but later disclosures stated that the heart attack was the result of complications related to AIDS.

Stern's acting career was brief. I 1975, she appeared on the television series Wonder Woman. In 1982, she had a role in the television film Paper Dolls and was in the television series Police Squad that same year.

The actress remained in the role of Patty until 1983. There are no reported acting credits listed for her from this point. She reportedly began a new career as a job interview coach.

Terry Lester is no longer with us, and Lilibet Stern has retired from acting, but they will always be remembered by The Young and the Restless fans as the first Jack Abbott and Patty Williams.