This is the direct quote from Daytime Confidential which also attribute MAB and Paul Rauch as being the ones playing hardball:

Dang, it looks like Auntie Ri Ri and Uncle Paul really ain't playing over at The Young and the Restless! TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco is reporting talks have completely broken down between the soap and lead diva Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman). The soap has gone so far as to reportedly script an exit for Scott, meanwhile a former co-star tells Branco that Scott fancied herself queen to Ed Scott's king during her hubby's reign as executive producer of the soap!

A former co-star tells The Suds Report that, “Mel thought she ran that show for years because her hubby, Ed [scott], was the producer. Well, times have changed, and actors do not run that show anymore. She’s nuts if she thinks another soap can afford her. Mel is so tied to Nikki that she won’t get another soap gig, especially in these tough economic times.”

Okay, somebody get my 'pressure medicine. I can't take it! I know I make fun of her, but I simply cannot imagine my Young and Restless without Nikki Newman walking around all stuck up like she just sucked all the air out of a helium balloon. Seriously, can't y'all come to some kind of agreement? What is the point of paying Thad Luckinbill (Who I adore, but he's become pointless), Amelia Heinle, Judith Chapman and several others, when you can't afford La Nikki? In this day and age of soap operatic death, I would rather see a smaller group of old faves, than a bunch of people being paid to fill out a cast.

Who is Victor gonna yell at and remind how he found her on a stripper pole if Nikki isn't in town? Who's gonna remind Sharon what a gold digging tramp she is? Okay, well Phyllis, Mary Jane and now Chloe have that covered, so scratch that. Who's gonna say her children's full names at all times when she speaks to them in a high-pitched whisper/squeal? Who's gonna wear black furs in the spring? I tell you I can't take it! If not resolved to the fans liking, this could prove to be the Dream Team's first major eff up. Do whatever it takes to make it work and give us our Nikki! And Melody, you meet them half way! Do you want to be hosting radio shows with Deidre Hall? Huh, do ya'? I need to go lie down.

Source: http://daytimeconfidential.com/

And here is NElson's latest blurb about it from his column. He doesn't say the exact same thing as DC but he does use Rauch and MAB in regards to her re-signing:

Once again, Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) proves she’s her own worst enemy. As we exclusively reported a few weeks ago in Nelson Ratings, Scott refused to take a pay cut, or drop to recurring status, which is what the soap was offering.

While Maria Arena Bell and Paul Rauch hoped that the former hair model would re-sign with the sudser, insiders inform The Suds Report the two parties have hit a stalemate in contract negotiations. In fact, the soap has written out the character already because the show is writing story past her contract expiration date. However, at press time, Y&R has decided not to recast the role in case Scott comes to her senses. Ironically, MTS celebrated her 30th anniversary with the No. 1 sudser this year.

A former co-star tells The Suds Report that, “Mel thought she ran that show for years because her hubby, Ed [scott], was the producer. Well, times have changed, and actors do not run that show anymore. She’s nuts if she thinks another soap can afford her. Mel is so tied to Nikki that she won’t get another soap gig, especially in these tough economic times.”

This isn’t the first time MTS has left the series over a contract dispute. The Emmy-nominated star bolted a few years back, but predictably returned a few months later.

“I’m not sure if Mel and Ed can afford not to be working right now,” says a friend close to MTS. “She really thought she was exempt from these pay cuts.”

As an aside, I don’t want to be the person who has to tell Eric Braeden (Victor), whose contract is up at the end of the year, he has to take a pay cut. Good luck with that, Y&R!

While we are on the subject, the quote above by Nelson about MTS further makes me distrust the man. He is clearly trying to eat it up to MAB and Y&R. The man who has praised MTS' acting so much in the past few years - even giving her a Best Actress award and then he calls her a "hair model" - his term for someone who can't act.

So now we even have DC putting Rauch and MAB in the midst of the contract stuff.

DC prints a lot of gossip, so I don't always take their word. I like to hear it from the actor's first. That's what I posted the Michael Grazeidei interview. He didn't mention having contract negotiations with MAB or Rauch, he said it was Steven Kent from Sony who negotiated his contract with him. Also, as we've seen from public records, like Jess Walton's political donations, she lists Sony as her employer, so that gives me more reason to believe that Kent is the one that deals with contracts.

Sony is the one in charge of the show's distribution and production costs, so it makes sense that Kent does the contracts too.

I guess Sony did pull Wyndham, Stuart, and Dano out of their asses then.

Or maybe all that was a lie too. Who knows Nelson and the online sources may have made that up too just to make Walton look bad. Maybe she was never threatened at all.

I'm just going to adopt the policy of not believing anything they say anymore. Because I can't be like others and believe it this week but not next.

Edited June 8, 200916 yr by SteveFrame

DC prints a lot of gossip, so I don't always take their word.

But which of them don't these days.

Even SON itself used to not condone gossip but in the last few weeks they have long threads that were basically gossip or were based on gossip. SOW and SOD are just gossip rags and tabloid journalism.

So who do you believe. Basically you can't believe any of them anymore.

I just frankly don't trust any of them anymore.

But which of them don't these days.

Even SON itself used to not condone gossip but in the last few weeks they have long threads that were basically gossip or were based on gossip. SOW and SOD are just gossip rags and tabloid journalism.

So who do you believe. Basically you can't believe any of them anymore.

I just frankly don't trust any of them anymore.

And really, it's the smartest thing I think any of us can do.

I get sucked into it as much as the next person. I'm not saying I'm totally innocent either. I get caught up in the "drama" of it all - but then I realize it's all just random words typed on a screen, that the masses believe because... well, we all want to believe in the "Soapdish" aspect of it all, I think. It makes swallowing all the horrors we're being forced to all that much easier. Cancellations and crappy ratings and bad EP's and HW's not being fired - and really, if we can get behind any champion in all of this, and say "Yeah! Fight! Kick their asses! Make them show you respect!" it gives us the story we've always wanted for daytime. To stand up and fight back for respect. So yeah - it's tempting to find the villain to point a finger at in all of this. And why not Rauch, if a couple popular sites throw the name out there? Why not Frons or Bloom or MAB or Sheffer or SONY or even these "damned actors who don't know how good they have it"?

But really we forget that the journalists are hanging on by a thread as much as the shows are, and the fans are. It sucks, and it's a shame. But everybody's just fighting to be noticed in these tough times. Doesn't matter who you are or what role you play in the soap opera experience.

Wouldn't MAB & Rauch let Sony know how valuable MTS was to them? Wouldn't they be the ones to say to Sony that she is worth every penny or that it's okay to let her go?

Wouldn't MAB & Rauch let Sony know how valuable MTS was to them? Wouldn't they be the ones to say to Sony that she is worth every penny or that it's okay to let her go?

MAB has been very public about this!

TVG: I always wanted Tom Pelphrey [Jonathan, GL] to play Adam, but of course the Emmy winner is no longer available. Any comment on Melody Thomas Scott's [Nikki] contract negotiations?

MAB: Unfortunately, I can't comment on contract negotiations.

TVG: But you hope she stays, right?

MAB: Oh my God, of course! Nikki is one of the most important characters on our canvas. And always will be.

Edited June 8, 200916 yr by MarkH

What do you expect her to say Mark??

I know we dont want that bitch character on anymore. We arent writing for her anyways.

What do you expect her to say Mark??

I know we dont want that bitch character on anymore. We arent writing for her anyways.

Well, of Victoria Rowell she said "We're moving on".

Well, of Victoria Rowell she said "We're moving on".

To the east side to deluxe apartments in the skyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

To the east side to deluxe apartments in the skyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

While we are on the subject, the quote above by Nelson about MTS further makes me distrust the man. He is clearly trying to eat it up to MAB and Y&R. The man who has praised MTS' acting so much in the past few years - even giving her a Best Actress award and then he calls her a "hair model" - his term for someone who can't act.

He said former hair model, there is a difference and how does that make you distrust him? Actors are hired all the time on soaps for their looks and LEARN to act. It happens. He's always said he wasn't impressed with MTS for a long time and that she's come into her own the past few years. He's been very consistent. He also said last year that he was over Jess Walton as Jill, she was overrated, etc. and when reporting on her comeback this year, he acknowledged how bored he was with Jill and how Walton has revitalized the part.

I guess Sony did pull Wyndham, Stuart, and Dano out of their asses then.

Who knows for sure, but there is always the possibility that Sony asked a veteran producer like Paul Rauch if he knew any actresses who'd make a good replacement for Walton. I mean, that would make sense.

He said former hair model, there is a difference and how does that make you distrust him? Actors are hired all the time on soaps for their looks and LEARN to act. It happens. He's always said he wasn't impressed with MTS for a long time and that she's come into her own the past few years. He's been very consistent. He also said last year that he was over Jess Walton as Jill, she was overrated, etc. and when reporting on her comeback this year, he acknowledged how bored he was with Jill and how Walton has revitalized the part.

MTS has acted since she was a child. She may never have been the best actress but even in her early years on Y&R she had a great deal of presence and raw talent. I've never seen her as a bad actress who got better. I can understand why others would feel that way, but it's interesting that some others on Y&R who are far more inconsistent, like Eileen Davidson, aren't under the same "hair model" scrutiny.

MTS has acted since she was a child. She may never have been the best actress but even in her early years on Y&R she had a great deal of presence and raw talent. I've never seen her as a bad actress who got better. I can understand why others would feel that way, but it's interesting that some others on Y&R who are far more inconsistent, like Eileen Davidson, aren't under the same "hair model" scrutiny.

I totally agree.

I never found even in her early days on the show that she was a hair model.