Exclusive: Inside Young And Restless’s 30th Anniversary Bash For Michelle Stafford

Stafford was flanked by (from l.) her real-life son, Jameson, her on-screen son, Michael Graziadei (Daniel), her on-screen daughter Allison Lanier (Summer) and her real-life daughter, Natalia. “I was the one who insisted on this photo,” she reports. “I wanted one with my real babies and my fake babies!”

Stafford with Eric Braeden (Victor), who was among the cast members who gave speeches about her. She confides, “I was so nervous about what people were going to say. I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I don’t want it to be like a roast!’ And it was quite the opposite of that. Everybody was so amazing and everybody said the loveliest, nicest things. I was like, ‘They’re all so nice!’ ” The actress clarifies, “I’m a very easy person to roast because I laugh at myself, too! But I’m an easy target because I do things a little off-center. So it wasn’t that I thought they wanted to roast me, I just knew I’m an easy target [laughs]. But nobody did that. Really, they were all so sweet.”

Stafford got choked up while recounting what the words Peter Bergman (Jack) spoke on her behalf meant to her. “I really felt seen in his speech,” she said. “I really, really felt seen as a human being. First of all, he’s such a great speaker and such a great writer. But he really spoke to who I am as a person and that everything I do, I do as a single parent, a single mother, and how much that means to me.”

Stafford recalls that some of the remarks made by Christian J. LeBlanc (Michael) went over the heads of some people in attendance. “Christian, because he’d done my genealogy, in the beginning [of his remarks], he started talking about that, and everybody was like, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about [laughs].’ “

In her own remarks, Stafford says, “I just talked about how wonderful everybody there was and how much I love them and that it’s a really great group. I had to bring this up, because I think about this all the time, but in this in group in particular — because not all groups are like this — there is no gossip that goes on. It’s really the most spectacular thing. Within this group, for all the years that I’ve been there, not just recently, but things have happened in people’s lives that could, you know, elicit gossiping, but people just have so much respect for each other that they just don’t! And I think that’s hard to come by, particularly in a group of people that have been working together closely for a long duration. It’s a very respectful group.”

Stafford had advance notice that there would be cupcakes bearing her likeness from early in her Y&R career alongside a more recent one. “I just kept talking about the cupcakes and saying, ‘You’ve got to get a ridiculous picture for the ‘before,’ for 30 years ago,” she explains. “[Y&R’s publicist] was so sweet and very careful and was like, ‘Really? Can we?’ And I was like, ‘Yes! I want the most ridiculous picture, the biggest hair!’ ” When she saw them in person, she exclaims, “I was so excited!”

Here’s a closeup of the headshots used to decorate the cupcakes.

Graziadei tells Digest, “I’m honestly just so grateful [to work alongside Stafford as her son]. I look forward to the days I get to go to work and work with her.”

Stafford with Lanier, who toasted her Genoa City mom on her Instagram Stories as “the iconic @therealstafford.”

Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, l., with Elizabeth Hendrickson, Chloe), shared photos from the party on her Instagram Stories, writing, “Congrats on 30 amazing years, @therealstafford! You are so loved!!”

Stafford shares, “Josh [Griffith, head writer and executive producer], our writer, talked about how even when I’m not going something [on camera], I’m doing something. Peter and Eric in particular said something similar, that even if I’m in the back of a scene, I’m still [performing in character]. I never thought anyone noticed that, and that felt good.”

Stafford posed with her long-term on-screen rival and real-life close pal, Lauralee Bell (Christine), who documented the party in a series of Instagram posts.

A familiar face from Genoa City’s past made it a point to take part in the celebration. “Sean Carrigan [ex-Stitch] ! He was so sweet to come. He’s a homie.”

Sharon Case (Sharon) and Joshua Morrow (Nick) were on hand to help mark the special occasion. They, too, debuted on Y&R in 1994 and recently marked their own 30th anniversaries with the show.

LeBlanc and Bergman were all smiles.

Kate Linder (Esther) was on hand to pay homage to Stafford.

Carrigan, Bell and LeBlanc posed alongside Bryton James (Devon), who himself had a milestone anniversary at Y&R this year, marking 20 years on the show.

Here’s how the studio was decorated for the big bash.