What happened to Mackenzie Browning and where is she now?

One of the dearest characters of The Young and the Restless, Mackenzie Browning is still someone we hope to see once more. You haven’t forgotten about her, have you? Over the past 50 years, many characters have come and gone and there are always some we can’t help but love. Among those characters is Mackenzie Browning or like everyone calls her “Mac”. Mac was first introduced in The Young and The Restless in 1999 and throughout this character’s span, it has been portrayed by many actors. Starring Ashley Boshioum, Rachel Kimsey, Clementine Ford and the most recent is Kelly Kruger who made a comeback with the character in 2018 for the 45th anniversary of the show. Mackenzie was always a really important character for Kelly, so when the show invited her to return as Mac, she was more than happy to. Mackenzie has always had a hard and challenging story from the start.

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What led to Mackenzie Browning’s exit?

Mackenzie’s story started when she ran away from her mother, Amanda Browning (Denice Duff), and abusive stepfather, Ralph Hunnicutt (Daniel Quinn) at a very young age. That’s when she came to Genoa City homeless shelter where made her first friend, Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper). Through that friendship, she found out that Katherine was actually her grandma from her biological dad, Brock Reynolds'( Beau Kazer) side. Mac then moved in with Katherine but faced problems with Jill Abbott, portrayed by Jess Walton, who wasn’t quite a fan of hers or her moving in. But, her love life on the other hand was just starting with Jill’s son, Billy Abbott portrayed by Jason Thompson. They were even made prom King and Queen and that’s when their relationship turned into a romance. Jill didn’t like it at all so she warned Mac to stay away from her son but that didn’t stop them from falling head over heels for each other. 

They kept their love on the down low and were always sneaking around, but things got complicated after her mom showed up and caused a stir trying to get back her custody when Katherine was already named as Mac’s guardian. Turns out, both Mac and Amanda have suffered the same predatory abuse from Ralph. And just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, Ralph arrived in town. Amanda let him into the Chancellor mansion to steal jewelry and that is when he comes across Mac.  He tries to harm Mac but Billy steps in and saves his girl, knocking him out. But when the two ran away from him, Ralph found them and attacked Billy. Thankfully Larry rescued Mac before he could take advantage of her.

After the whole nightmare, Mac and Billy were closer than ever. They then went to the same college, moved in together, and even got engaged. But then, the truth comes crashing down: they’re actually cousins! Yep, Billy’s mom and Kay are related. So, they sadly had to call off the engagement. Talk about a major bummer.

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But love finds Mac again, this time in the form of JT Hellstrom (Thad Luckinbill). They fall head over heels, move in together, and he becomes her first intimate partner. Mac becomes pregnant but sadly suffers a heartbreaking miscarriage. JT finds out later and is pretty upset that he wasn’t told about the pregnancy. Things got messy when JT had a fling with Victoria played by Amelia Heinle, and broke things off with Mac.

Feeling the need for a fresh start, Mac says goodbye to Genoa City in 2006 and heads to New Orleans to be with her biological dad, Brock. At the time, Rachel Kimsey was playing Mac’s role and she had quite a fun time on the show, even though it only lasted a year. She even said that it was the best job for her.

Where is Mackenzie at present?

In 2009, Mackenzie Browning made a return to Genoa City and it was with a twist. Turns out, Jill Abbott isn’t Katherine Chancellor’s daughter after all. That means Mac and Billy Abbott could finally let their love shine without any family drama. Well, Billy was married to Chloe Mitchell (Elizabeth Hendrickson) at the time, but that didn’t stop him from chasing after Mac. You have got to admire his persistence, right? But hold up, Mac wasn’t exactly waiting around either. She had a new man in her life, Raul Gutierrez (David Lago). However, the universe had other plans, and Mac and Billy found themselves back in each other’s arms. It’s like destiny was saying, “You two are meant to be!” I mean, who can resist a love that just won’t quit? But that didn’t last long either.

Fast forward a bit, and Mac and Billy hit a rough patch, breaking up in a not-so-fun way. But fear not, because love has a funny way of circling back around. Mac and JT, her ex, gave their relationship another shot. They made it official, tied the knot, and even had a son named Dylan. Life was looking up for our girl!

In 2010, Mac and JT decided to pack their bags and head to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. You know, for a change of scenery. But hey, Mac couldn’t stay away from Genoa City for too long. She made a brief return in 2017 just to let everyone know that she and JT were divorced. And likewise, JT ended up dating Victoria Newman again, out of all people. And in 2018 when JT was presumed dead, Mac and Victoria shared a special moment at his memorial service. They bonded over being victims of JT’s abusive behavior. It was a powerful moment, bringing these two strong women together and giving Mac the closure she deserved. 

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That was the last time we saw her on Y&R. Throughout her time, Mac had her fair share of being mistreated and pushed around. But she never let it break her spirit. And that was a fitting end to Mac’s journey on the show.