'Young and the Restless' Star Jess Walton's Husband Undergoes Cancer Surgery

The Young and the Restless star, Jess Walton, best known for playing Jill Abbott on the CBS soap opera, recently revealed her husband had cancer surgery.

First reported by Soap Dirt, Walton took to Facebook on Thursday to share that her husband underwent surgery for a malignant tumor in his neck.

"To all my friends out there… Great news!" Walton wrote. "My husband had a malignant tumor in his neck for the last year and we finally decided to come down to UCLA in Los Angeles and we had it removed. The doctor said it was a huge success! He is now cancer free and in recovery. We think (sic) God for all our family and friend's prayers… just had to share this with you all."

Fans took to the comments section, sharing their well wishes for the news.

"I am so happy for you both that he's cancer free, I miss you when you aren't on the Young and Restless!" one fan wrote. "I have watched since day one when you were still Jill Foster!"

"This is fabulous news. My husband just had a kidney removed due to cancer so I know what you must be feeling," another wrote.

"Happy for you both, Jess," added another. "You can breathe now. Hurry and get back to Y&R and kick Mal Youngs butt. I know you can't be happy with some of the changes any more than we are. (Prayers for a speedy recovery, handsome."

Walton and her husband, who reside in Oregon, have been married for almost 40 years and have two children together. Her husband, John, who is recovering nicely now, is the author and founder of The Grief Recovery Institute.

As for her time on Young and the Restless, Walton has been on the soap series since 1987 with her performance earning her both the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and Award for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Jill Abbott.

Young and the Restless fans are holding out for the return of Walton easing back into Jill, especially when it comes to taking care of her TV son, Billy, whose life is reportedly in shambles.

Earlier this month, Walton's co-star, Eileen Davidson announced her retirement from the series. However, her newfound status did not get off to a great start. Davidson took to social media to reveal that she was bitten by a brown recluse spider in her bed by sharing a photo on Instagram.

Davidson played the role of Ashley for about 25 years off and on, first debuting in 1982 and leaving in 1988. She returned in 1999 and left again in 2013 for a short time until returning the following year. Since then, she remained on the show until this week. Fans could hold out a tiny glimmer of hope for her return, but there is also the chance the show will simply re-cast her role, as Ashley has been played by two other actresses in the past.

Photo credit: Michael Tran / Getty