The Young and the Restless fans want a real baby to portray Dominic

There is a burning question that is Dom-in-nating the minds of many fans of The Young and the Restless. Viewers are wondering why a real baby is not being used for Dominic Abbott Newman Chancellor. Most days it looks as if Abby Newman Chancellor (Melissa Ordway), Mariah Copeland (Cameron Grimes), and Devon Hamilton (Bryton James) are holding an empty blanket but according to Soap.com there is a doll underneath the covers. This brings to mind Michael Jackson who hid his son's face under blanket and the world laughed.

More than likely COVID restrictions prevent the CBS soap from using an infant and there probably are not any parents who want to take a chance with their baby at this time. Fans are coming up with their own scenarios and some think there is a big sock inside the baby blanket. Other have said that the racial issues with the child might be a problem and the powers that be are not sure what ethnicity to use for the child. Y&R did pretty good when they cast as Cane Ashby and Lily Ashby's biracial children Mattie Ashby (Lexie Stephenson) and Charlie Ashby (Noah Alexander Gerry) but that's not to say that all children of combined heritage will look alike.

Victoria Rowell who portrayed Drucilla Barber Winters on The Young and the Restless is biracial having an African American father and a white mother. She had her own daughter Maya Fahey by a Caucasian man and she looks completely white. Bryton James is biracial as is Devon whose father is Tucker McCall (Stephen Nichols) the son of Katherine Chancellor. Mariah is white so there is a probability that the child would look more white than black. If they cast a Caucasian baby there might be backlash from those who believe Dominic should reflect more of his African American heritage.

While there is no actual baby and no name in the credits those who watch The Young and the Restless will no doubt continue with their jokes. One respondent on a soap forum said the following:

"The blanket looks sillier every time I see it. Today there was blanket where the top of the baby's head should be and the shape is so tiny. I have been to school plays that have better than an empty blanket".

Another responded with: "I thought the baby crying today sounded like 2 tomcats fighting.; so unrealistic."

Dominic was born in August and will soon be 3 months old. They will not be able to hide him under a blanket much longer. Some fans have noted that on sister soap John Finnegan (Tyler Novlan) and Steffy Forrester Finnegan (Jacqueline Macinnes Wood) have had an actual baby since day one for their son Hayes Forrester Finnegan (last Piper Harriot) who was born in July. It would seem that the CBS rules would be the same for both soaps so perhaps the Y&R execs are taking extra precautions.

Many babies of color including African Americans are often born looking completely white but change over the years and decades so using a white baby would not be unrealistic. Down the road if Dominic remains light and has children with a Caucasian there is a possibility that child could come out looking more black as this has happened many times in real life, even in my own family.

In one case a biracial woman married a black man and all of their children were medium brown looking African Americans. One daughter married a man whose complexion was the darkest of black. Their son looked like the father but the daughter looked just like Maya Fahey with a mild white complexion and red/blond hair and white features. You can see the difference in the coloring of Kristoff St. John whose mother is white and portrayed Neil Winters from the photo with his father and the won with Bryton James.

There will probably be a lot of chatter about Dominic as he grows but in the meantime, everyone is awaiting the return of his adopted father Chance Chancellor (Conner Floyd). If The Young and the Restless does not obtain a real baby soon there will be quite a few humorous moments when Abby hands that blanket to her husband. If as one fan noted they would use a realistic doll then at least he could be held up and perhaps even kissed. Be on the lookout for updates because this situation is ever evolving.