For generations, readers have turned to Dear Abby with questions about love, family, marriage, friendship, grief and everyday problems. But behind the familiar name is a remarkable two-generation story—and in 2026, the column entered a major new chapter.
The name “Dear Abby” was created by Pauline Phillips, who began the syndicated advice column in 1956 under the pen name Abigail Van Buren. Her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, later inherited the role. Now, after decades behind the column, Jeanne is preparing to step away.
How Dear Abby Began
The story of Dear Abby starts with Pauline Friedman Phillips, a woman who was not initially planning to build a major journalism career.
Pauline launched the column on January 9, 1956, using the name Abigail Van Buren. According to Andrews McMeel Syndication, the name became associated with a straightforward, compassionate style of advice that eventually reached readers around the world.
The column quickly became more than a newspaper feature. Readers sent deeply personal questions, often anonymously, asking for guidance on relationships, family conflicts and difficult decisions.
Pauline’s success was particularly notable because advice columns were becoming an important form of popular journalism during a period of major social change in the United States.
She addressed subjects that were sometimes uncomfortable or controversial for the era. Her approach combined humor with practical advice, helping turn Dear Abby into one of the most recognizable names in newspaper journalism.
The Woman Behind the Name
Pauline Phillips became known publicly as Abigail Van Buren, but her personal story was closely connected to another famous advice columnist.
Her identical twin sister, Esther Friedman, became famous as Ann Landers. The sisters eventually developed competing advice columns, and their professional rivalry contributed to a lengthy personal estrangement. Their relationship became one of the most unusual stories in American newspaper history.
Despite the rivalry, Pauline built an enormous readership.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Dear Abby became one of the world’s most widely syndicated columns, appearing in more than 1,400 newspapers at the height of its reach.
That influence helped make Pauline more than a columnist. She became a recognizable public figure whose pen name was eventually more famous than her own.
Jeanne Phillips Enters the Story
The next major development came from within Pauline’s own family.
Jeanne Phillips, Pauline’s daughter, began helping with the column when she was only 14. Andrews McMeel says her mother suggested that Jeanne answer letters from teenagers as a way of earning spending money. What started as a small job eventually became a decades-long apprenticeship.
Jeanne continued assisting her mother for many years.
By the late 20th century, she was deeply involved in the work behind Dear Abby. In December 2000, Pauline officially announced that Jeanne would share the Dear Abby identity.
This was not an overnight replacement. Jeanne had already spent years learning how the column worked and helping answer readers’ letters.
A 2001 Washington Post profile described the transition as a significant moment for the famous advice brand. Jeanne was no longer simply assisting her mother behind the scenes; she was becoming publicly identified with Dear Abby.
When Jeanne Became the Sole Dear Abby
Pauline’s health eventually changed the arrangement.
According to ABC News, Pauline was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and gradually transferred responsibility for the column to her daughter. The original Dear Abby officially retired in 2002.
Pauline died in January 2013 at the age of 94.
Her death marked the end of the first generation of Dear Abby, but not the end of the column itself. Jeanne continued writing under the same name and preserved the familiar identity that readers had known for decades.
That continuity was important. Readers were not simply following a person; they were following a trusted newspaper institution.
What Is Happening to Dear Abby in 2026?
The biggest recent development came in July 2026.
Andrews McMeel Syndication announced that Jeanne Phillips would retire after nearly 40 years of writing Dear Abby and decades of involvement with her mother’s column.
Phillips, who is 84, explained that she wanted the freedom to travel extensively without the daily responsibility of meeting deadlines. She also said she wanted Dear Abby to continue after her retirement.
The change is therefore not an end to Dear Abby.
Instead, the column is moving into a new editorial model.
Andrews McMeel says an experienced editorial team will take responsibility for writing the column. Jeanne will continue to contribute periodically through the end of 2026, while the staff prepares to fully assume the writing role.
That distinction matters because some online discussions could easily create the impression that Dear Abby has simply disappeared. There is no reliable evidence supporting that interpretation.
The official announcement specifically says the column will continue.
Who Writes Dear Abby Now?
The answer is more complicated than naming one new person.
Historically, Dear Abby was strongly associated with Pauline Phillips and then Jeanne Phillips. The 2026 transition changes that model. Andrews McMeel has said the column will be written by a team of editors rather than presenting a single replacement personality as the new Dear Abby.
That means the familiar name will remain while the authorship structure changes.
This is an important distinction for readers interested in the identity behind the column.
There is currently no reliable public evidence that a particular celebrity, journalist or individual has secretly replaced Jeanne Phillips. Claims suggesting a specific unnamed successor should therefore be treated cautiously unless confirmed by Andrews McMeel or another authoritative source.
Why the Dear Abby Name Still Matters
The endurance of Dear Abby is partly explained by its unusual relationship with readers.
The questions may change with each generation, but many underlying problems remain familiar. People still ask how to handle difficult relatives, troubled relationships, loneliness, disagreements and social situations.
The column also evolved with the culture around it.
Pauline’s era included major changes involving women’s rights, sexuality and public health. Jeanne later continued the tradition while addressing subjects relevant to contemporary readers.
The official Dear Abby biography notes Jeanne’s involvement in public education, equality initiatives and organizations dealing with issues including Alzheimer’s disease and family welfare.
That broader public role helped reinforce the idea that Dear Abby was not simply about romance or etiquette.
What Readers Should Expect Next
The future of Dear Abby is now less about finding another Pauline or Jeanne and more about preserving the principles associated with the column.
Andrews McMeel has said its editors have worked closely with Jeanne and understand her approach to the column. The syndicate also says readers will continue to be able to submit questions.
That suggests a deliberate transition rather than a sudden cancellation.
The exact identities of the individual writers working behind the scenes are not the central public story at this stage. No official source has announced a single successor who will personally become the next universally recognized “Dear Abby.”
The Bottom Line
Dear Abby is not simply the story of one advice columnist. It is the story of a name passed from mother to daughter and, in 2026, from an individual writer to an editorial team.
Pauline Phillips created the column in 1956. Jeanne Phillips later carried it forward for decades after learning the work from her mother. Now Jeanne is retiring, but the column itself is continuing.
What remains certain is that Dear Abby has entered a new era. What remains to be seen is whether a team-based version can maintain the personal connection that made Pauline and Jeanne Phillips household names.
For now, readers should distinguish between the confirmed transition announced by Andrews McMeel and speculation about who might eventually become the public face of the column. There is no confirmed evidence that the Dear Abby name itself is ending.
