Teenage years (1994–96) Eighteen-year-old Nicholas "Nick" Newman, son of the rich business tycoon
Victor Newman (
Eric Braeden) and his ex-wife
Nikki Abbott (
Melody Thomas Scott), met Sharon Collins, a student from modest means who recently relocated from
Madison, Wisconsin to Genoa City. Although it was "love at first sight", Nick was dating
Amy Wilson (
Julianne Morris) and Sharon was dating
Matt Clark (
Eddie Cibrian). However, they soon broke off their other relations and became a couple. Nikki did not approve of Sharon and her mother
Doris Colins (
Karen Hensel) because of their lower class status. Nick became increasingly angry at the pressure from his family to break up with Sharon, although Victor fully accepted Sharon. Nick dreamed of running away and eloping with Sharon, but Sharon refused because of the high class status of the Newman family. Matt became extremely jealous of Nick and Sharon, and although he began dating Amy, began scheming to break them up. Matt investigated Sharon's past and found out her deepest secret which she was keeping from Nick; she lost her virginity to her high-school boyfriend from Madison,
Frank Barritt (Phil Dozois), which resulted in a pregnancy. Sharon gave her baby up for adoption, unable to provide for it. Nick believed it was a lie and that Sharon was a virgin, and confronted Matt at the Crimson Lights coffeehouse. It turned into a physical altercation in which Nick was badly beaten by Matt. Eventually, Nick and Sharon broke up after he discovered about her lies. Unable to stay apart, Nick and Sharon reunited within weeks. However, Matt became enraged and trapped Sharon in his car where he raped her. Traumatized and humiliated, Sharon kept the rape to herself. Nick and Sharon decided to elope. However, on their first night together, Sharon pulled away from making love to Nick and finally confessed that she was raped by Matt. Nick ran to confront Matt at his apartment, only to discover Matt lying in a pool of blood having been shot. Nick's DNA was found on the gun and he was arrested. Victor hired
Paul Williams (
Doug Davidson) and a range of attorneys to free Nick, who had to go to trial for attempted murder. Nick was found guilty and sent to jail, where he spent Christmas of 1995. However, in February 1996 he was acquitted when Amy came forward as the actual shooter after Matt tried to rape her. Nick and Sharon then married.
Marriage and parenthood (1997–99) (
pictured) played Grace, Sharon's best friend who schemed to break the couple up. At the beginning of her marriage to Nick, Sharon became insecure and felt like she had to have a child so that Nick would stay tied to her. During this period, Nick hired Sharon's best friend from Madison
Grace Turner (
Josie Davis) to work at his father's company
Newman Enterprises. Sharon became pregnant by deliberately skipping her
contraceptive pills, which she confessed to Nikki. Nick asked Sharon to have an
abortion. Noah became ill and nearly died. Believing he would eventually die, Grace (now played by
Jennifer Gareis) and Tony tracked down Sharon's long lost eight-year-old daughter
Cassie (
Camryn Grimes) and brought her to town, believing it would help Sharon get through Noah's death. However, once Noah survived, Grace kept Cassie so she could raise her as her own, as her "pet". She did this despite knowing very well Sharon was definitely Cassie's biological mother. Nick became drunk one night after partying with his college friends, the same night Sharon was sick with a cold and Grace was babysitting Noah. Nick entered the nursery and had sex with Grace who he believed was Sharon, leaving him guilt-ridden after he found out it wasn't. During a trip to Denver, Nick cheated on Sharon with Grace after drinking, despite him claiming their relationship was only "professional". Sharon left Nick afterwards, feeling like a fool. The show's then head-writer at the time
Kay Alden, said "This has been a long time coming for Sharon and Nick [...] For the last several months, there's been a lot of stop-and-go — and mixed messages — between them. But now the feelings they have for each other are definitely clear." Sharon and Nick were awarded custody of Cassie, and Nick adopted Cassie and became her father. Joshua Morrow stated: "Nick has accepted Cassie as his daughter. He loves her as much as he loves Noah. She's an incredible child and Nick is crazy about her". Matt became a "beloved" employee and Sharon invited him over to the ranch, where he attempted to drug and
date rape her but failed. His plan to have Nick thrown in jail worked, and he lured Sharon to an isolated cabin where he nearly raped her until help showed up and he ran. Matt was driven off a cliff in a car driven by the unstable
Tricia Dennison (
Sabryn Genet). A dying Matt told Nick that he raped Sharon, and later pulled out his own ventilator and framed Nick for his death; Nick was arrested again but eventually freed. Sharon and Nick spent the Christmas of 2002 together for the sake of the kids, but once it was finished, Sharon realized she needed to move on and decided to file for divorce. after being off-screen from February 17 to May 1. Instead of having the character depart fully or be killed off, executive producer at the time
David Shaughnessy chose to have her leave town. During her absence, Cassie nearly dies after falling into an icy pond, and resented Sharon upon her return. Sharon was confronted with her past when a man who she had sex with and who later abused her while she was out of town,
Cameron Kirsten (
Linden Ashby), came to town with intent of sleeping with her; as well as Cassie's biological father Frank arriving in town. Nick became distant from Sharon, causing Sharon to become close to
Brad Carlton (
Don Diamont), who she worked with while being a spokesperson for Newman Enterprises' Beauty of Nature cosmetics line. Nick also inched closer to a co-worker,
Phyllis Summers (
Michelle Stafford). Sharon and Brad shared a kiss, but she confessed it to Nick, wanting to work on her marriage. However, Nick was having an affair with Phyllis. When Sharon failed to commit to him, Brad proposed to Nick's sister
Victoria Newman (
Amelia Heinle) instead.
Love triangles and Faith's birth (2007–10) Phyllis, who was played by
Michelle Stafford (
pictured). After her divorce from Nick and his marriage to Phyllis, Sharon moved on by marrying a rival to the Newman family,
Jack Abbott (
Peter Bergman). Bergman said that it was "only appropriate" that the couple found each other, explaining: "Wherever Sharon goes, she is embarrassed. Will Phyllis come walking around the corner? But Sharon doesn't have any reason to be embarrassed with Jack." However, Bergman also noted that Jack's intamicy with her "all happens so quickly" which could indicate he was up to something manipulative. Nick and Sharon remained close despite their separate marriages. In 2007, Nick ended up in a plane crash, losing his memory. When he returned, he thought it was 2005, believing he was married to Sharon and Cassie was alive. He even kissed Sharon; but regained his memory and returned to Phyllis and their infant daughter, Summer. Phyllis became jealous of Sharon's place in Nick's life, prompting her to write an article in their magazine
Restless Style, in which she described Sharon as a "needy" "gum-chewing twit" who twirls her hair. Nick was angry at Phyllis for berating the mother of his children, although it was evident that he still loved Sharon and was protective of her. Additionally, she said that she wouldn't want Nick and Sharon reunite if there wasn't any conflict. During an interview with
The Daily News Case said that Nick constantly changing his mind whether to be with Sharon or Phyllis "throws everything into a spin" and causes Sharon to make her decisions "all over again because she has new information". Sharon briefly lied about the baby's paternity because of Summer becoming ill, and stated that Jack was the father.
Reunion and custody battles (2011–15) (
pictured) played Nick's half brother
Adam, who began a relationship with Sharon after kidnapping Nick and Sharon's baby. In the process of trying to save Adam from being sent to jail for Skye's death, Sharon tracks down Skye in
Hawaii; Skye falls into a volcano and dies. Sharon loses custody of Faith to Nick, who won't accept her relationship with Adam. Sharon is arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder; she later skips town and poses under the identity 'Sheri Coleman' for months in
New Mexico. During this time, Genoa City believed her dead, leaving Nick devastated. Nick had brief romances with Phyllis and his former step-mother
Diane Jenkins (
Maura West). Sharon eventually returned to town alive and was acquitted. Throughout 2011, Case voiced her support of Sharon being paired with Adam. Commenting on whether Nick and Sharon were "over", Case said she doesn't think they "will ever be over", and they aren't on right now because of her romance with Adam. Nick and Victoria tried to stop Sharon's explosive run as CEO of Newman but failed; at one point, Nick went up against Sharon at the courts. Victor eventually returned and made sure Sharon paid. After heavily drinking, Sharon burned down the main-house at the Newman ranch. Nick forgave Sharon after it was revealed she was suffering from
bipolar disorder during the time she did all those things. After two years of being bitter towards one another, Nick and Sharon began co-parenting again and he has vowed to be there for her, so that she can't turn to Adam for support again. Around this time, Morrow stated that as an actor he did not know "how in the world" the writers could reunite Nick and Sharon "anytime" soon, but stated: "I truly believe in my heart they belong together." Discussing who Sharon's "true love" is, Case stated: "Nick came first, so maybe that would hold more weight. But her love for Adam is just as deep." In mid 2013, a mentally fragile Sharon began feeling nostalgic regarding her relationship with Nick, having been dumped by Adam. In a twist, it is revealed that the original paternity test conducted years earlier to determine whether Summer (now aged to 18 years old) was fathered by Jack or Nick was inconclusive; Nick claimed paternity over Summer, wanting another daughter following Cassie's death. When Summer became involved with Jack's son
Kyle Abbott (
Hartley Sawyer)—her possible half brother—Nick conducted another paternity DNA test. Sharon learned of this, and switched the results, to make everyone believe Nick wasn't Summer's father, so that she could comfort and win him back. A fight between Phyllis and Sharon (after Phyllis overheard Sharon confessing to switching the results) ended with Phyllis falling down a flight of stairs and into a coma. Speaking of these events Case stated: "Sharon really does feel justified in what she is doing. In fact, she feels she is doing what needs to be done. She feels that hers and Nick’s destinies, and Cassie’s destiny, and everyone’s life was compromised by Phyllis having this baby, because Nick and Phyllis had an affair, and Nick wanted to get back with Sharon." Sharon then began plotting to win her "high school sweetheart" back from his fiancé, Phyllis's sister
Avery Bailey Clark (
Jessica Collins), to no avail. It was revealed that Sharon was neglecting her bipolar disorder medication the whole time and eventually got her health back on track, but continued to debate whether or not she should tell Nick about Summer's true paternity. To stop having these "visions", Sharon undergoes
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which causes her to experience missing gaps in her memories, and she forgets changing Summer's DNA results. Morrow dubbed Victor's actions as "evil", and while speaking of Sharon's secret about Summer's paternity, stated: "When it comes out, it’s certainly going to create a problem for Nick and Sharon. In September 2014, Nick proposes to Sharon once again and she accepts. Later that month, a special Nick and Sharon episode aired, where twenty of the show's characters ended up arrested altogether after the couple's Bachelor/Bachelorette party. The
Soap Opera Network called this a "first for daytime television". Phyllis ends up waking up from her coma and stops the wedding. Soon afterwards, Phyllis exposes Sharon's memories and secrets. Nick and Sharon break up, and enter another bitter custody battle over Faith. New head writer at the time
Charles Pratt, Jr. said, "The first thing I did was take Sharon's child away from her, and I did that because it defines passion in the character", opining that Sharon "shouldn't just be in a monogamous relationship with Nick raising Faith. Maybe that's what some in the audience want but, to me, that would be a great waste of Sharon Case's talent."
Recent events (2016–present) After several years apart, Nick and Sharon reunite in May 2018 after moving in together. New head writer
Mal Young noted: "Sharon's so different now", and explained that Nick and Sharon's relationship would be investigated, saying: "They’ve been together since they were teenagers and no matter how much they tear themselves apart, something brings them back together. Their path of true love will never run smooth." == Reception ==