Sure, supercouples reign on soaps, but the route to a successful twosome usually entails overcoming a third party. Check out our list of the top 10 soap opera triangles of all time.
Soap Opera Triangles
1. Reva/Josh/Annie (Guiding Light)
Annie (Cynthia Watros) fell for Josh (Robert Newman) after his beloved Reva (Kim Zimmer) ‘died.’ Their plans for a happy future went up in smoke when Reva turned up alive at their wedding. Annie orchestrated a pregnancy to keep her man. Upon miscarrying, she set up Reva to take the blame, but the truth came out, and Reva and Josh reunited.
2. Roman/Marlena/John (Days of Our Lives)
When John (Drake Hogestyn) surfaced in Salem, all clues pointed to him being Marlena’s (Deidre Hall) diseased husband Roman (Wayne Northrop) with a new face. The couple reconciled and were happy until the real Roman returned. Torn between two men she truly loved, Marlena found herself in an impossible situation. Ultimately, she pledged her heart to John.
3. Brooke/Ridge/Taylor (The Bold and the Beautiful)
After the death of his wife, Caroline, Ridge was drawn to her doctor, Taylor (Hunter Tylo), upsetting his on-again/off-again lover, Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang). Ridge spent decades bouncing back and forth between the two women, marrying and creating families with each of them. These days, he’s committed to Brooke.
4. Luke/Laura/Scotty (General Hospital)
Laura (Genie Francis) was blissfully happy with new husband Scotty (Kin Shriner), until Luke suddenly entered the picture. Luke’s obsession with Scotty’s bride led him to rape her, but, afterward, Laura found herself consumed with her attacker and developed real feelings for him. Overnight a triangle was born, and it remains one of daytime’s most controversial ever.
5. Rachel/Steve/Alice, Another World
From the minute Steve (George Reinholt) met Alice (Jacqueline Courtney) he was smitten and vice versa. But the couple did encounter one major obstacle: Rachel (Robin Strasser), who wanted Steve for herself. She seduced him after he had a spat with Alice and ended up pregnant with his child, creating a triangle that catapulted Another World’s ratings.
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6. Nikki/Victor/Ashley, The Young and the Restless
Two women have captivated Victor (Eric Braeden): Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Ashley (Eileen Davidson). When The Young and the Restless mogul initially strayed from wife Nikki, Ashley ended up pregnant. But she aborted the child when Victor ran back home. Over the decades, Victor has exchanged “I Do’s” with both blondes and seems to truly love both of them.
7. Steve/Betsy/Craig, As the World Turns
Although destined to be together, As the World Turns’ Steve (Frank Runyeon) and Betsy (Meg Ryan) were thwarted at every turn, starting with Betsy granting her dying brother’s wish to stay away from the man she loved. Betsy wed Craig (Scott Bryce) on the rebound and even bore his child, but his jealousy and controlling ways always led her back to Steve.
8. Phil/Tara/Brent, All My Children
Phil (Richard Hatch) and Tara’s (Karen Lynn Gorney) All My Children love story hit a major snag when Phil learned he was adopted, freaked out and dumped Tara, who landed in Chuck’s (Jack Stauffer) arms. The duo’s love re-blossomed when they sat vigil at Chuck’s bedside as he battled kidney disease. Before they could level with Chuck, Philip was drafted. Yet, he and Tara exchanged private vows before he left for Vietnam.
9. Steffy/Liam/Hope, The Bold and the Beautiful
Like mother, like daughter. The Bold and the Beautiful’s Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and Hope (Annika Noelle) followed in the footsteps of their moms, Taylor and Brooke, spending their lives battling over the same man. Steffy’s early scheming to keep Liam (Scott Clifton) and Hope apart originally put her in the mix, but Liam soon came to love both women — not to mention marry them and father their daughters.
10. Sonny/Brenda/Jax, General Hospital
Brenda (Vanessa Marcil) couldn’t deny her attraction to dangerous mobster Sonny (Maurice Benard), but their blossoming love story crashed and burned when she wore a wire for the feds and Sonny dumped her. Brenda turned to good guy Jax (Ingo Rademacher) for some real safe romance and even married him. But she never lost her love or lust for Sonny and, eventually, left Jax in the dust.
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