Parents: Stormy Blackthorne and Kelly Kahoano

Siblings: Caroline Blackthorne

Appearances: Seasons 1-Current; The Blackthornes (Seasons 5-6)

Who’d Play Him: Joe Anders

The Heir Who Began as a Secret: Ryan James “R.J.” Blackthorne Jr. was the son of Stormy Blackthorne and Kelly Kahoano. His life began amid secrecy after Kelly’s agent convinced her that motherhood would damage her career. Kelly agreed to give up her infant son, and Alex Reynolds paid her to remain silent so that she could raise the baby herself.

When Stormy unexpectedly returned to Los Angeles, Alex concealed R.J.’s true identity and claimed he was the child of a woman she had met in rehabilitation. To make the story believable, she hired struggling actress Jane Wheeler to pose as his biological mother. Alex became R.J.’s legal guardian, while Jane’s involvement gradually drew her closer to Stormy and permanently into the Blackthorne family.

The deception eventually collapsed, and Stormy learned that R.J. was his son. Kelly returned and reclaimed the baby, forcing the adults around him to confront the consequences of the choices they had made. Over time, Stormy and Kelly found a way to share a place in their son’s life, while Jane became R.J.’s devoted stepmother after marrying Stormy.

Now a teenager, R.J. lives within the sprawling Blackthorne family and shares close relationships with both of his parents. Restless, good-natured, and occasionally impulsive, he has inherited much of the energy associated with the Blackthorne name. He also remains connected to Kelly’s Hawaiian family and was close to his maternal grandfather, Matthew Wheland, before Matthew’s death in a plane crash.

As a child born into the Blackthorne dynasty, R.J. also has a future financial stake in Sunset Studios. A family provision guarantees that he will inherit a percentage of the company when he reaches adulthood, making him part of the next generation expected to carry the Blackthorne legacy forward.