'Young and the Restless' News: Jean Passanante and Shelly Altman Named New Head Writers

Young and the Restless has hired new head writers, Soap Opera Digest reported Wednesday.

Sources confirmed to the publication that Jean Passanante and Shelly Altman will replace Josh Griffith. Altman was already in a writing capacity on the CBS soap and Passanante has previously been in top command at the now defunct As the World Turns.

A date has not been given as to when material from the duo will be airing. At the moment, Griffith's work is still airing. According to sources, he left the soap earlier this month because of a power struggle. He did not feel as though his stories were being told in a manner he envisioned.

Nelson Branco, a journalist, has claimed that Griffith was fired because he clashed with Y&R executive producer Jill Farren Phelps in regards to upcoming storyline for the #1 rated soap. Eric Braeden also lashed out on Twitter about Griffith's exit.

"We had just gotten used to this new writing-producing regime at Y&R and suddenly there's another change, and I don't like it all! It's unsettling. So, yes, it pissed me off, though I was only responding to a fan," he told TV Guide last week.