Greg Rikaart has become a Genoa City staple in his fourteen years playing The Young and the Restless' Kevin Fisher, but his time on the CBS soap is coming to a close.

"Fourteen years ago, I booked a two-week long gig on The Young and the Restless. In my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined what it would turn into: a career-defining experience that has brought me so much happiness and fulfillment," Rikaart shared in a post on Instagram. "Playing Kevin and watching him evolve over the years has mirrored my real life in so many ways. We both found love, both became dads and we both have more gray hair now than we did in 2003. I have such love and fondness for the cast and crew of Y&R that when I watch Kevin enjoying himself in scenes, it's hard to know where he ends and Greg begins. At the moment it is unclear what lies ahead for Kevin and I, as we will be saying goodbye to Genoa City for a while. I am sad to leave a place I hold so dear but also really excited about what the future holds. I cannot overstate how much gratitude I have to all of you who have been such loud cheerleaders for me. You've all enriched my life. So stick around. The journey is just beginning."

Reps for Y&R are declining to comment on Rikaart's current status. TV Insider reports that executives at the daytime drama chose not to renew the actor's contract.

As longtime fans may recall, Kevin debuted in 2003 as an Internet predator and was originally slated to appear for a short storyline arc. However, he quickly became a fan favorite, which prompted the writers to change course and turn the villain into an upstanding IT analyst for the Genoa City Police Department. Kevin recently found out he's the father of Chloe's baby, and with portrayer Elizabeth Hendrickson no longer on the canvas, viewers hoped he'd be given a juicy single father storyline. Alas, he may be doing so off-screen when he exits this August.

The silver lining to Rikaart's departure news is that executive producer Mal Young and head writer Sally Sussman have reportedly chosen not to kill off the character and have left the door open for Kevin's return sometime down the road.

Fourteen years ago, I booked a two-week long gig on The Young and the Restless. In my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined what it would turn into: a career-defining experience that has brought me so much happiness and fulfillment. Playing Kevin and watching him evolve over the years has mirrored my real life in so many ways. We both found love, both became dads and we both have more gray hair now than we did in 2003. I have such love and fondness for the cast and crew of Y&R that when I watch Kevin enjoying himself in scenes, it's hard to know where he ends and Greg begins. At the moment it is unclear what lies ahead for Kevin and I, as we will be saying goodbye to Genoa City for a while. I am sad to leave a place I hold so dear but also really excited about what the future holds. I cannot overstate how much gratitude I have to all of you who have been such loud cheerleaders for me. You've all enriched my life. So stick around. The journey is just beginning. :)

A post shared by Greg Rikaart (@gregrikaart) on May 4, 2017 at 3:55pm PDT

What do you think about Greg Rikaart reportedly being let go from Y&R? Are you at least relieved he won't be getting killed off when he departs later this summer? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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