Colleen Zenk is a legend to soap opera fans. She played Barbara Ryan on As The World Turns for over 30 years. She was on the soap from 1978 until it was canceled in 2010. The actress joined The Young & The Restless in 2023 as Jordan Howard. The character was killed off in 2025. Now, Colleen Zenk made headlines for the wrong reason. She was arrested for driving under the influence. It was her third DUI arrest in recent years. Keep reading for all the details on the shocking incident.
The Young & The Restless Head Writer Quits
The Young & The Restless has been the top-rated soap opera for decades. But things are rapidly changing behind the scenes. Josh Griffith announced in May that he was stepping down as the show’s executive producer, a role he’s filled since 2023. He said that he wanted to focus on his writing responsibilities. He became the CBS soap’s head writer in 2019.
Now, he’s out of both jobs. News broke last week that Josh Griffith was leaving his position as head writer, just two months after stepping down as executive producer. The Young & The Restless hasn’t named who will replace him as head writer. Sally McDonald took over as executive producer in May.
Colleen Zenk Arrested For 3rd DUI
Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) locked Jordan in a jail cell for a time on The Young & The Restless. She was determined to kill Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) over a long-running feud. Now, Colleen Zenk might find herself behind bars for real.
The legendary soap star was arrested and charged with DUI in May. Soap Opera Network broke the story. The incident happened on May 15 at 7:35 p.m. in Naples, Florida. Witnesses told the police that Colleen Zenk was backing out of a handicap parking spot when she struck the car next to her. She allegedly tried to leave the scene before the police pulled her over down the street.
The Young & The Restless star told the police that she had two glasses of wine at Bar Tulia. According to the police report, she struggled with her balance during the field sobriety test. The cops did two breathalyzer tests, which showed blood alcohol levels of 0.206 and 0.192. The legal blood alcohol level in Naples, Florida, is 0.08.
Colleen Zenk was released on bond on May 16. She pleaded not guilty through her lawyer. The next court date is scheduled for July 29. According to multiple outlets, it’s her third DUI in recent years. She was previously charged with DUI in 2010 and again in 2017. Finally, the actress hasn’t made a public statement about her arrest. Stay tuned for more on this developing story.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger