Christel Khalil Net Worth 2026: Her Surprising Y&R Fortune

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Written By Umar Farooq

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Quick Facts Table

DetailInformation
Full NameChristel Adnana Mina Khalil
Age38 years old
Birth DateNovember 30, 1987
BirthplaceLos Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionActress
Estimated Net Worth$17 million
Marital StatusMarried to Sam Restagno (m. October 2024); previously married to Stephen Hensley (2008–2011)

Introduction

What is Christel Khalil’s net worth? Christel Khalil has an estimated net worth of $17 million, built almost entirely over more than two decades as Lily Winters on The Young and the Restless — one of daytime television’s longest-running and most recognizable roles. She’s also a Daytime Emmy winner, a voice actress, and, as of early 2026, a mother of three balancing a full-time soap career with a growing family. Below is a complete breakdown of how her fortune was built, where it stands today, and what her life looks like heading further into 2026.

Christel Khalil Net Worth

Christel Khalil’s $17 million net worth is unusual in daytime television because it comes almost entirely from a single, long-tenured role rather than a scattershot mix of projects. Soap opera compensation works differently than primetime or film pay: actors are typically paid per episode or under multi-year contracts, and salaries climb steadily with tenure, seniority, and negotiating leverage rather than through one-off paydays.

Khalil joined The Young and the Restless in 2002 at age 14, meaning her earnings on the show have compounded for over two decades — through contract renewals, a temporary exit (2005–2006), a 2018 shift from full contract to recurring status, and a full-time return in January 2020. That 2018 decision is worth noting for financial context: moving off contract typically means lower guaranteed pay but more schedule flexibility, a trade-off Khalil has said was about personal freedom rather than a step back in her career. Her return to full-time status in 2020 realigned her income with the show’s standard lead-cast pay structure.

Her wealth growth has been gradual and consistent rather than explosive — the profile of a long-career character actor rather than a breakout star, which is precisely what gives her financial position its stability.

Income Sources

  • Salary: Her primary and largest income source is her per-episode/contract salary from The Young and the Restless, spanning 20+ years with CBS.
  • Acting Income (Film & TV): Guest and supporting roles across NCIS: Los Angeles, 2 Broke Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, That’s So Raven, and films including Matilda (1996), We Need to Talk (2022), and Dragon Fury.
  • Voice Acting: Years of voicing Cornelia Hale in the animated series W.I.T.C.H., a steady secondary income stream running alongside her Y&R work.
  • Business Ventures: No major independent business ventures have been publicly disclosed.
  • Brand Endorsements: Limited public endorsement deal activity compared to primetime actors — her income is concentrated in acting work rather than sponsorships.
  • Royalties: Standard SAG-AFTRA residuals tied to reruns and streaming syndication of The Young and the Restless and W.I.T.C.H.
  • Investments: No publicly disclosed investment portfolio.
  • Social Media Earnings: Modest, secondary income from sponsored Instagram content; not a primary revenue driver.

Early Life and Education

Christel Adnana Mina Khalil was born on November 30, 1987, in Los Angeles, California, to Adnan Khalil and Belita Edwards. Her father is of Pakistani descent, while her mother’s heritage includes African American, Native American, and European ancestry — a multicultural background Khalil has said occasionally informed the complexity she brings to her roles. She began acting at age five, landing her first role on The Sinbad Show in 1993, and continued building a resume through small parts in Family Matters, Matilda, and Dragon Fury throughout the 1990s.

Career Journey

1993: Makes her acting debut at age five in The Sinbad Show.

1996: Appears in the film Matilda.

2002: Cast as Lily Winters, the teenage daughter of Neil and Drucilla Winters, on The Young and the Restless at age 14 — the role that would define her career.

2003: Begins voicing Cornelia Hale in the animated series W.I.T.C.H., running alongside her soap work.

2004: Earns her first Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series.

2005: Leaves The Young and the Restless; the role of Lily is briefly recast.

2006: Returns to The Young and the Restless, reclaiming the role of Lily Winters.

2008: Wins an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series; marries musician Stephen Hensley.

2010: Gives birth to her son, Michael Caden Hensley.

2011: Divorces Stephen Hensley.

2012: Wins the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series at the 39th Daytime Emmy Awards, after four nominations in the category.

2016: Meets Sam Restagno at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

2018: Moves from full-contract to recurring status on The Young and the Restless, citing a desire for more personal and professional flexibility.

2020: Returns to full-time status on the show and earns her first Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress.

2022: Gets engaged to Sam Restagno.

2023–2024: Announces her second child (first with Restagno); son Remy is born in early 2024.

October 2024: Marries Sam Restagno in Puglia, Italy.

February 2026: Welcomes her third child — second with Restagno — announced quietly via Instagram.

Major Achievements

  • Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series (2012), following four prior nominations
  • NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series (2008)
  • Multiple Young Artist Award nominations for her early work as Lily Winters
  • Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress (2020)
  • More than two decades of continuous association with a single soap opera role — a rare feat of career longevity in daytime television
  • Recognized voice acting career via Cornelia Hale in the internationally distributed W.I.T.C.H. animated series

Assets and Lifestyle

Khalil maintains a relatively private lifestyle centered on Los Angeles, where she has lived and worked for most of her career. Unlike many young Hollywood stars, she has not publicly disclosed major real estate holdings, luxury vehicle collections, or high-profile brand partnerships — her public-facing lifestyle content leans toward family life, fitness (she has shared home-gym workouts), and travel, including trips to Italy connected to her husband’s family.

Personal Life

Christel Khalil was previously married to musician Stephen Hensley from 2008 to 2011; the couple share a son, Michael Caden Hensley, born in 2010. She met Canadian businessman Sam Restagno — a cofounder and managing partner at private equity firm Golden Spruce Capital — at Coachella in 2016. Their relationship became public in 2018, they got engaged in 2022, and they married in a ceremony in Puglia, Italy, in October 2024. The couple welcomed their first child together, a son named Remy, in early 2024, and their second child together (Khalil’s third overall) in February 2026. Khalil has kept many family details, including her youngest child’s name and birth date, private.

Net Worth Growth Timeline

YearEstimated Net WorthKey Driver
2002Early-career earningsCast as Lily Winters on The Young and the Restless at age 14
2008–2011Steady growthContinued Y&R salary, NAACP Image Award recognition, marriage to Stephen Hensley
2012Notable increaseDaytime Emmy win strengthens contract negotiating position
2018PlateauShift to recurring (part-time) status reduces guaranteed income
2020Renewed growthReturn to full-time Y&R status; second Emmy nomination
2024–2026$17 millionTwo decades of compounded soap salary, residuals, and voice-acting royalties

Note: Christel Khalil’s net worth is not independently verified through public financial filings, as is standard for most working actors. The $17 million estimate reflects the most consistently cited figure across entertainment finance sources as of 2026.

Interesting Facts

  • Christel Khalil was cast as Lily Winters on The Young and the Restless at just 14 years old and has now played the role for over 20 years.
  • She provided the voice of Cornelia Hale in W.I.T.C.H., an animated series based on an Italian comic book — a fitting connection, given she later married in Italy.
  • Khalil took a brief hiatus from Y&R in 2005–2006, during which the role of Lily was temporarily recast.
  • She won her Daytime Emmy after four consecutive nominations in the Outstanding Younger Actress category.
  • Her husband, Sam Restagno, works in private equity as a cofounder of Golden Spruce Capital — a rare pairing of soap opera fame and finance-world career.
  • She is a mother of three, with children from two marriages, and has kept much of her family’s day-to-day life private despite her public profile.

FAQs

1. What is Christel Khalil’s net worth in 2026?
Christel Khalil’s estimated net worth is $17 million, built primarily from her 20-plus-year run as Lily Winters on The Young and the Restless.

2. How old is Christel Khalil?
Christel Khalil is 38 years old, born November 30, 1987, in Los Angeles, California.

3. Who is Christel Khalil married to?
She is married to Canadian businessman Sam Restagno, whom she wed in Puglia, Italy, in October 2024. She was previously married to musician Stephen Hensley from 2008 to 2011.

4. How many children does Christel Khalil have?
Khalil has three children: a son, Michael Caden, from her marriage to Stephen Hensley, and two children — a son, Remy, and a third child born in February 2026 — with husband Sam Restagno.

5. Did Christel Khalil win a Daytime Emmy?
Yes. She won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series in 2012 after four prior nominations, and later received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstand
ing Supporting Actress in 2020.

6. How long has Christel Khalil played Lily Winters? She has portrayed Lily Winters on The Young and the Restless since 2002, with a brief break in 2005–2006, making it more than two decades in the role.

7. Did Christel Khalil ever leave The Young and the Restless?
Yes, briefly. She left the show in 2005 and returned in 2006. In 2018, she also moved from full-contract to recurring status before returning full-time in 2020.

8. What other shows and movies has Christel Khalil appeared in?
Beyond Y&R, she’s appeared in NCIS: Los Angeles, 2 Broke Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, That’s So Raven, and films including Matilda and We Need to Talk. She also voiced Cornelia Hale in the animated series W.I.T.C.H.

9. Who is Christel Khalil’s first husband?
Her first husband was musician Stephen Hensley, whom she married in 2008 and divorced in 2011. They share a son, Michael Caden.

10. What is Christel Khalil’s ethnic background?
She has a multicultural heritage: her father is of Pakistani descent, and her mother’s ancestry includes African American, Native American, and European roots.

11. Does Christel Khalil do voice acting?
Yes. She voiced Cornelia Hale in the animated television series W.I.T.C.H., a role she held for several years alongside her Y&R duties.

12. Is Christel Khalil still on The Young and the Restless in 2026?
Yes. She remains a full-time cast member as Lily Winters, having returned from maternity leave following the birth of her third child in early 2026.

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