The Final Forrester: JMW’s Shock 2026 Departure Signals the End of Steffy’s Reign

By Cassandra Pierce, Daytime Confidential Senior Editor

The news landed like a tectonic shift in the quiet world of daytime drama. On a seemingly ordinary Thursday, a brief, terse press release confirmed the unthinkable: Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (JMW), the reigning queen of the CBS sudser The Bold and the Beautiful, would be officially exiting the role of Steffy Forrester in the summer of 2026.

This is not a temporary maternity leave—she recently returned from one after welcoming her fifth child, a beautiful daughter, to her growing family. This is the permanent end of a 17-year chapter, and the tremors are already shaking the very foundations of the Forrester fashion house.

The immediate fallout in the B&B writers’ room must be catastrophic. JMW is not just a lead; she is the gravitational center around which nearly every major storyline—from the ‘Steam’ and ‘Lope’ rivalry to the entire conflict with Sheila Carter—has revolved for the past decade. Her three Daytime Emmy wins for Lead Actress (2019, 2021, 2023) cement her status as one of the most decorated performers in the show’s 39-year history. Her departure creates a vacuum of power, passion, and sheer, unfiltered drama that will be virtually impossible to fill.

The clock is ticking. Executive Producer and Head Writer Bradley Bell now faces the greatest creative challenge of his career: how to deliver a fitting, devastating, and memorable exit for the definitive Steffy Forrester.

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The Woman Behind the Crown: A Mother’s Choice

While the show maintains a veneer of “mutual creative agreement,” industry whispers are insistent that Wood’s choice is entirely rooted in her commitment to her ever-expanding family. Having welcomed five children—four sons and a daughter—in a remarkably short period, the demands of balancing a hectic, five-day-a-week taping schedule with raising five young children became unsustainable.

Wood has been candid in the past about the immense physical and emotional toll the relentless pace of soap opera production took on her in her twenties, admitting she was often “running on fumes.” Now, as a fiercely protective mother in her late thirties, the priority has shifted completely. For JMW, the decision to step away from the iconic role of Steffy Forrester—the role that earned her global fame and accolades—was ultimately a choice for quality of life and longevity. She chose her family over the fashion dynasty.

The show, already grappling with a major relocation from Television City and an ever-tightening production schedule, was unable to provide the level of flexibility required for an actress carrying the weight of the main storyline. The permanent exit, therefore, feels less like a sudden resignation and more like the inevitable, compassionate conclusion to a spectacular career chapter.

Steffy’s Legacy: The Daughter of Destiny

To understand the scope of this loss, one must understand Steffy Forrester’s role. She is not merely Ridge’s daughter; she is the spiritual successor to the late matriarch Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery) and the last true representative of the ‘Forrester-against-the-world’ mentality.

For years, Steffy was the ‘Waffle King’ Liam Spencer’s (Scott Clifton) primary conflict, creating the ‘Thope/Lope/Steam’ dynamic that served as the show’s central love triangle. But in recent years, Steffy evolved, shedding the “vixen” label to become a respected executive, a devoted wife to Dr. John “Finn” Finnegan (Tanner Novlan), and the CEO who fiercely protected the Forrester legacy. She represented strength, grit, and the glamorous chaos inherited from her grandmother.

Her final saga, stretching through the remainder of 2025 and into 2026, must tie up these threads:

The Finn/Sheila Threat: The lingering presence of Sheila Carter remains Steffy’s biggest psychological vulnerability.
The Hope Rivalry: Her uneasy, recent truce with Hope (Annika Noelle) must explode dramatically before she leaves.
The CEO Chair: The ongoing boardroom battle at Forrester Creations regarding creative control and the future of the Hope for the Future line.

This character is too big to simply send off to Paris for a “long business trip.” The departure must either define the future of her co-stars or be so final that the question of a recast hangs in the air forever.

The Showrunner’s Dilemma: Brad Bell’s Three Options

The pressure on Brad Bell to nail this exit is immense. Past high-profile departures offer a roadmap, but none feel entirely adequate for a character as vital as Steffy.

Option 1: The European Loophole (The Coward’s Way Out)

Historically, B&B favorites are sent to Paris or Milan to run a foreign office, leaving the door open for a guest appearance. This is the least dramatic option.

The Plot: Steffy, exhausted by the never-ending drama with Liam/Hope and the recent turmoil involving Finn’s biological mother, Sheila, decides Los Angeles is simply too toxic for her children, Kelly and Hayes. She takes Finn and their children and moves permanently to the Forrester Creations European headquarters.

Verdict: Unsatisfying. After all the gunfire, cliff dives, and near-death experiences, an administrative exit is a huge creative letdown. It fails to give JMW the grand finale she deserves.

Option 2: The Recast (The Risky Bet)

Recasting is a soap staple, but finding a new actress who can match JMW’s Emmy-winning intensity, physical presence, and chemistry with Finn/Liam is a monumental task.

The Plot: A catastrophic event leaves Steffy badly injured. While recovering, she disappears, only to return months later, noticeably different (the new actress). This allows the Steffy/Finn story to continue uninterrupted.

Verdict: High Risk. The audience reaction could be brutal. However, if the show is determined to keep the ‘Finnigan’ couple intact and maintain the Forrester/Logan conflict balance, they may have no choice but to roll the dice on a new face.

Option 3: The Ultimate Tragedy (The Dramatic, Defining Exit)

This is the only option that truly honors Steffy’s legacy and resolves her decades-long war with the Logan faction. Steffy must go out as a hero, a victim, or a legend.

The Plot: The final showdown with Sheila Carter—the true, constant menace in Steffy’s life—occurs. Perhaps Sheila targets Finn or one of the children, and Steffy intervenes. In a catastrophic act of violence, Steffy is killed saving her husband, her child, or even… Hope Logan. Steffy’s final moments, dying in Finn’s arms, would be JMW’s last, powerful Emmy reel.

Verdict: Necessary and devastating. Killing Steffy provides maximum drama, ensures JMW is not recast (at least not immediately), and gives Finn and Liam rich, multi-year grieving and conflict material. It also secures Steffy’s place as a martyr who finally rid Los Angeles of the Sheila menace.

The Legacy We Will Remember

The truth, as it always is in daytime, will be revealed on screen. But regardless of whether Steffy boards a jet or meets a tragic end, the soap world will lose its most compelling, complex, and beautiful force in 2026.

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood gave Steffy a voice—a snarky, vulnerable, and fiercely protective one. She transcended the typical “rich girl” stereotype to become the heart of the Forrester dynasty. As she prepares to focus on raising her children, the legacy she leaves behind will be measured not just in Emmy gold, but in the countless hours of thrilling drama she delivered, forever changing the landscape of The Bold and the Beautiful.