The Young and the Restless star Susan Walters explains why Diane felt the need to slap Jack

On The Young and the Restless, the last thing that Diane expected to find when she boarded the mystery yacht was Jack in bed with another woman! But that's exactly what happened when she, Kyle, and Billy entered a state room and found Jack canoodling with Patty, his ex-wife. Now, Susan Walters is speaking out on Diane having a physical reaction to the shocking discovery.

The Young and the Restless, a slap is just a slap

Diane slapped Jack after finding him with Patty on The Young and the Restless | Image: CBS

A happy marriage isn't always the best thing on daytime drama. Fortunately, that's no longer a problem for Jack (Peter Bergman) and Diane, given that she's walked in on her husband in bed with his ex-wife, Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk).

Walters didn't know what form conflict in Jack and Diane's marriage would take, but she tells Soap Opera Digest that Patty coming back into Jack's life happened at just the right time. All last year, Jack and Diane faced external forces within their union. But now, Jack's presumed infedility has lit an explosive fuse.

"I thought that out of some of the other women in Jack's past, [Patty] was a perfect choice," Walters says. "She was the perfect person to be the catalyst for the problems between Jack and Diane and to pull off this kidnapping of him because her character is a little dangerous, and Stacy's very sexy, and her character was written a little crazy. So it all made the storyline make sense."

Walters is aware that the Diane/Jack/Patty story goes back to the 1980s, when three different actors played the roles. "[It's] great that they have that history," Walters says. "It gives [Stacy's] character more license to be doing what she's doing; Diane caused pain in Patty's life, so it kind of gives Patty...license to get back at her." The dynamic also gives Diane reason to fear Jack's loyalty.

A classic soap opera slap, The Young and the Restless

Kyle, Diane, Billy, Patty and Jack on The Young and the Restless | Image: CBS

Diane was left speechless upon discovering Jack and Patty in bed together. She let loose with a fury of anger, slapping Jack across the face in response to the perceived betrayal. Walters explained that she read that women mostly fight with their words, but that when the words don't come, they will strike back physically.

"[It] was awesome that they had Diane slap him, because there was nothing she could say in that moment," Walters offers.