In May 2009, after Chris Engen left the role of Adam Newman, Muhney was hired as a recast. He made his debut on the episode dated June 25, 2009.[4][5][6][7] In 2011, Muhney signed a contract that would keep him in the role for an unspecified period.[8] In April 2013, Muhney announced that he had signed a new contract that would expire in June 2015.[9] In December, however, Muhney announced that he had been abruptly let go from the soap opera, with his last airdate on January 30, 2014.[10][11][12][13]
After the sudden announcement that Muhney had been fired from the role in December 2013, viewers and critics alike expressed their disappointment in the decision. Michael Ausiello of TVLine wrote that the news was the "worst Christmas present ever",[11] as well as Jamey Giddens of Zap2it writing: "Outspoken and insanely gifted, Michael Muhney has definitely shaken things up in daytime since joining The Young and the Restless. Whether he was demanding changes in the Daytime Emmy nomination process, or getting into fights with his TV pappy on Twitter, one thing was for certain — Muhney always brought it on screen as bad seed Adam Newman. Well, not anymore."[12] Immediately after the news of his firing, Muhney conducted an interview with the Huffington Post and stated: "Part of me feels this is because I've always been outspoken, and sometimes I've been too outspoken. Sometimes I've walked around with a big backpack full of hubris. That is entirely on me. CBS, Sony, and Jill Phelps are not to blame for that." Muhney also said that the writers were planning to "take a break from Adam for 3 to 6 months" and then recast the role.[14]
