<P> Diane has had relationships with business tycoons Jack Abbott ( Peter Bergman ) and Victor Newman ( Eric Braeden ) . Diane has a son with Jack , Kyle Abbott ( Lachlan Buchanan , Michael Mealor ) , who was initially supposed to be Victor 's son before his sperm sample was switched . Donnelley described Diane as `` taking herself much too seriously '' , while Walters criticized the character for existing solely to advance another character 's storyline . Former head writer Maria Arena Bell was heavily criticized for the writing for West ; Zap2it said Bell missed an opportunity to focus on Diane 's rivalry with Jack . In 2011 , within eight months of joining the cast , West was let go and the character was killed off two months later in a whodunit murder storyline . The storyline also was harshly criticized for progressing too slowly , as it was a six - month period before the revelation that Nikki Newman ( Melody Thomas Scott ) killed Diane in self - defense . </P>
<P> Diane has had relationships with business tycoons Jack Abbott ( Peter Bergman ) and Victor Newman ( Eric Braeden ) . Diane has a son with Jack , Kyle Abbott ( Lachlan Buchanan , Michael Mealor ) , who was initially supposed to be Victor 's son before his sperm sample was switched . Donnelley described Diane as `` taking herself much too seriously '' , while Walters criticized the character for existing solely to advance another character 's storyline . Former head writer Maria Arena Bell was heavily criticized for the writing for West ; Zap2it said Bell missed an opportunity to focus on Diane 's rivalry with Jack . In 2011 , within eight months of joining the cast , West was let go and the character was killed off two months later in a whodunit murder storyline . The storyline also was harshly criticized for progressing too slowly , as it was a six - month period before the revelation that Nikki Newman ( Melody Thomas Scott ) killed Diane in self - defense . </P>
who killed diane jenkins on young and the restless
who killed diane jenkins on young and the restless
Nikki Newman
Nikki Newman