Mal Young, the new head writer on "The Young and the Restless," said in an interview that he was going to do more with the characters of father and son Niel Winters and Devon Hamilton. He seems to be keeping his word, as according to Celeb Dirty Laundry, "Y&R" is bringing Beyonce's cousin Shanica Knowles to genoa city. She will portray a talented singer named Simone, who will connect with Devon and possibly be signed to a recording contract. There has been no mention of the two becoming romantic, but it's always a possibility. Whether the connection stays professional or turns personal it will no doubt be a sore spot for Hilary.

Shanica Knowles is no stranger to television

Shanica is proving she can hold her own and is not standing in the shadow of her famous cousins Beyonce and Solange. She is a talented actress and singer in her own right, who is no stranger to television. Her first appearance was as Vanessa in "Unfabulous" and she gained notoriety portraying Amber Addison on Disney's "Hannah Montanna." Amber was a friend to Miley Cyrus's character, who had a dual role as Hannah/Miley.

Ms. Knowles was also cast in the Dinsey movies "Jump In" and "Sweet 16" and her most recent project was starring as Tachina Arnold in the biopic "Surviving Compton," which aired on the Lifetime network. The 27-year-old hails from Miami, Florida, and has been in the entertainment business for 14 years since 2004 when she was the tender age of 14.

Joining the cast of "The Young and the Restless" will no doubt cause her star to rise and shine.

Exciting things in store for Devon and Simone

Devon singed Tessa quite a while back but there has been so much Newman drama that she seems to have been put on the back burner. Mal Young no doubt has exciting things in store for Simone once she connects with Devon.

Spoilers indicate that Mr. Hamilton will hear her singing and decide to approach her and compliment the young woman on her talent. He will make her an offer but it's not yet clear if she will accept.

Celeb Dirty Laundry indicates that Ms. Knowles will arrive in Genoa City on February 9. She is only slated to appear in a few episodes but that could always change.

If she hits it off with Devon and also loyal "Y&R" viewers, it's always possible her time could be extended. Should she become a foil for Hilary this would really be fun to watch. Stay tuned weekday afternoons at 12:30 PM on CBS to find out how Queen Bey's cousin and this new storyline works out.
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