In the years that ensued, she became involved with Ridge's brother Thorne after accidentally causing the death of his wife in a hit and run accident, and also had short-lived marriages to Nick Marone and Whip Jones.

[9] In March 1996, following Taylor's decreased airtime and rumors circulating of her exit, it was confirmed that the actress was to leave The Bold and the Beautiful after her contract expired that June, to pursue a primetime role on the Fox television drama Melrose Place.

[12] It was immediately reported that she would return to The Bold and the Beautiful, with head writer and executive producer Bradley Bell issuing the statement: "I am certain that Hunter's talent and ability will continue to be an asset to the show.

[18] In 2005, Deanna Barnert of Soap Opera Digest wrote that according to an industry insider, a character from the show "may come back from the world of the beyond", leading fans to speculate whether either Macy Alexander (Bobbie Eakes) or Taylor would be returning.

[19] The show's producers wanted to keep her on-screen return a secret, with Tylo wearing a wig when travelling to the set, and the character's name being changed on scripts.

[21] In a post on her website, she wrote: "For me, contract talks ended 4 weeks ago", adding "My friends and B&B fans will be sorely missed.

Dan Kroll of the website Soap Central was shocked by her exit, though felt that a future return was possible, judging from her previous departures.

[30] Allen, who previously played Billie Reed on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, said: "If there was ever any type of role to come back to daytime with, it would be this one.

"[31] Allen wore a wig when auditioning for the role, explaining that she wanted to "lock in the look of Taylor Hayes as best I could", and prepared by watching Tylo's last episodes.

[29] In an exclusive interview with Deadline Hollywood published on December 15, 2023, Allen revealed in October of the same year she was notified she had been dismissed from the role,[33] with her last appearance on the show being on November 10.

"[39] The writers wanted Taylor to retain a "pristine" and "well-mannered" personality, according to Tylo, to contrast her from rival Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) who was "feisty and reckless", the different facets which attracted Ridge to each of them.

[40] However, Tylo criticized a storyline in 2000 where Ridge is tricked into sleeping with his mentally unstable high school lover Morgan DeWitt (Sarah G. Buxton), who becomes pregnant with his child.

"[40] Taylor, who is usually resilient, falls into a tailspin: accidentally killing Darla Forrester (Schae Harrison) in a hit and run accident and lying about it, later being arrested for driving under the influence.

The couple faces challenges at first, such as interference from their respective exes, Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Blake Hayes (Peter Brown),[47] and Ridge's mother, Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery), initially disliking Taylor.

"[74] In 2018, Brooke and Taylor engage in a food fight at Hope Logan's (Annika Noelle) wedding to Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton), Steffy's ex-husband.

Tylo observed that both Brooke and Taylor were being written with "more intelligence" this time around, and was happy in revisiting the rivalry between them as "long as it wasn't over Ridge" again.

In 1993 while trapped in a cabin at Big Bear and suffering from hypothermia, Taylor sleeps with her mentor from medical school James Warwick (Ian Buchanan) to prevent him from dying a virgin.

In 2005, Taylor re-appears at Bridget Forrester (Ashley Jones) and Nick Marone's (Jack Wagner) wedding ceremony and is soon revealed to be alive.

Taylor becomes an alcoholic and while driving one night to Phoebe who is stranded on PCH, she accidentally hits Thorne's wife Darla Forrester (Schae Harrison) with her car.

Thorne and Taylor break off their engagement and she begins a relationship with sailor Nick Marone (Jack Wagner); they marry and she becomes pregnant with his child through in vitro fertilization.

When Rick becomes involved with Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) in 2009, Ridge experiences anxiety and sleeps with Taylor after consuming pills.

In April 2018, Taylor returns to Los Angeles, where she confronts Bill for taking advantage of Steffy and accuses him of displaying predatory behaviors.

Bill agrees not to press charges against her for Steffy's sake, and Taylor remains in Los Angeles to seek psychiatric help off-screen.

[29] Taylor (Krista Allen) returns to Los Angeles after a series of travels overseas to surprise her daughter, Steffy in her residence in December 2021.

[5] Discussing Tylo's 1994 temporary exit, Kathleen Sloan of the Toronto Star observed that "fans of the soap couldn't have been more open-mouthed" over the matter.

"[100] Discussing Tylo's portrayal, Debashine Thangevelo of Independent Online observed, "Having inhabited this role for almost two decades, barring a sabbatical, she has made an indelible impression on viewers.

"[44] Reacting to Taylor being revealed as Bill's shooter, Canyon News wrote: "Tylo delivered some riveting scenes, as a mother concerned about her daughter’s well-being", stating that her return "causes all types of problems which make for interesting TV".

[103] Following the character's 2019 exit, Maas observed that fans had "been clamoring for Taylor’s return for years, as important moments in her children’s lives went by with their mother noticeably absent — and without a great explanation as to why.

[104] In 2022, Charlie Mason from Soaps She Knows placed Taylor at 11th on his ranked list of The Bold and the Beautiful's Best of the Best Characters Ever, commenting that "For decades, we liked Hunter Tylo's shrink as a heroine who always got the short end of the stick.

[108] Speaking of Brooke and Taylor's anticipated cake fight in 2018, Soaps.com writer Candace Young stated that viewers "weren't disappointed", calling it "re-energizing to see these two pick up with their rivalry and play off one another.