Throughout soap opera history there have been characters who’ve been given tragic backstories and fought against hard-luck lives. That was certainly the case with Iva Snyder (played by Lisa Brown) of As the World Turns.
Who Is Iva Snyder?
When Iva returned home to Luthers Corners after years of being away, she was relatively upbeat and positive. Sent to live on her aunt and uncle’s farm in Kansas, Iva ran away after her cousin Josh had raped her. She gave up the baby for adoption and moved to the West Coast where she became the mistress of Tad Channing, a construction company owner. Suffering from low self-esteem, Iva did an adult film.
Number Two Mom
Iva got a job working for Steve Andropoulos in Oakdale, hoping to put Tad behind her but she also had a secret she wanted to share. Iva revealed to Lucinda Walsh that she was the birth mother of Lucinda’s daughter Lily. She issued an ultimatum: either make Lily feel more secure or she’d tell her the truth!
Meanwhile, Tad followed Iva to Oakdale and tried to sink Steve’s business. Iva clashed regularly not only with Lucinda but also with her younger sister Meg, who wanted to seduce Lily’s boyfriend Dusty.
The As The World Turns Winners Circle
Iva fell for Steve’s wife Betsy’s ex, Craig Montgomery, and he grew to love her in his own way. They made love by the Snyder pond. But Iva never seemed to have much luck with being happy for very long.
Tad went on a rampage and was murdered. Iva lied that she’d killed Tad to get Craig out of jail, not knowing the real killer — model Denise Darcy – was the culprit. Even more painful than the prospect of spending years in jail was realizing that Craig still loved Sierra, so Iva and Craig called it quits.
To Tell The Truth
After Steve’s company went under and Iva was temporarily paralyzed, Lucinda paid her hospital bills and got her a job at Memorial Hospital. Mistakenly believing that Josh AKA Rod Landry was about to rape Lily, Iva grabbed a pitchfork and ordered him to stop — saying, “She’s your daughter!”
Lily ran away. Iva was devastated and frustrated after blabbing the secret she’d worked so hard to keep. Even Lucinda had sympathy for Iva. In time, Lily forgave Iva and they forged a relationship.
The Bickersons
Iva Snyder bantered with Lucinda’s new executive Kirk Anderson, who was jealous of Iva’s new “beau,” Hank Elliot, not knowing Hank was gay. Iva set out to seek her birth parents after learning that she, like Lily, had been adopted.
She learned her mother had died, but her father, Jared Carpenter, was alive — and wealthy! Alas, Iva’s emotional damage from being raped prevented her from fully committing to Kirk. She blasted her sister Ellie after she learned Ellie and Kirk were a couple.
My Mother, My Aunt
Next, Iva adopted Julie Wendall’s baby, Aaron. He fathered by her brother, Holden, who had the part of his brain that contained memory removed. He later sued for custody of Aaron. Iva had another son — M.J. — fathered by John Dixon.
Realizing she didn’t love John, Iva dated and fell in love with attorney Jason Benedict. They wed and moved to Washington D.C. for Jason’s job. Iva returned to Oakdale and As the World Turns for family weddings, including Holden and Lily’s.
A Rose By Any Other Name
Iva returned to Oakdale once more – not for a wedding but to receive another maternity surprise. She’d given birth all those years ago not to one daughter but also to Lily’s twin — Rose D’Angelo! Iva was reunited with her daughter, who sadly died on her wedding day to Paul.
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