7 Biggest betrayals in the history of daily soaps

Audiences were stunned every time soap operas delivered their love-centered, lie-filled storylines with unexpected twists. Over time, several betrayals stood out and permanently changed the lives of key protagonists. These moments in American daytime television were shaped by revenge and painful family conflicts.

Viewers watched in disbelief as major bonds of trust between characters collapsed almost instantly. Each betrayal had a strong emotional impact on the characters, leaving them with lasting consequences. Below is a chronological list of the seven most powerful betrayals that reshaped storylines in daily soaps.

Please note: This article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.

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The list of the 7 biggest betrayals in the history of daily soaps is provided below:

7. Sonny shoots AJ (General Hospital)

The opening of 2014 in General Hospital presented its most devastating case of betrayal by Sonny Corinthos. The influential mob leader, Sonny Corinthos, concluded that AJ Quartermaine had killed his girlfriend Connie Falconeri. A mixture of fury and emotional pain drove Sonny to enter AJ’s hospital room, where he fired shots at him. Sonny rebuffed AJ’s claim of innocence while glaring at him. The truth was eventually revealed that Ava Jerome had murdered Connie Falconeri, not AJ.

Sonny had raised Michael while being aware that AJ was Michael’s biological father, which was a huge betrayal. The news Michael received about Sonny murdering his true father broke his heart. Michael honored his biological father by adopting the Quartermaine surname instead of Corinthos. After this tragic event, the father-son relationship between Sonny and Michael ended forever.

In that key time, the story depicted what happened when one poor decision destroyed many lives. This betrayal became one of the most heartbreaking events in soap opera history because it brought everything Sonny loved and valued to a tragic end. Soap opera fans were taken aback when they saw Sonny transform into an adversary figure, as he was often a protector. For several seasons on the show, the character’s downfall caused persistent sorrow, altering the fate of those touched.

6. Adam Newman's baby swap (The Young and the Restless)

The Young and the Restless displayed its cruelest form of betrayal through its television screens in 2009. Adam Newman created an extreme plot to conceal his criminal activities. Ashley Abbott was tricked into thinking she was still pregnant after he caused her to miscarry. Adam then took the baby from Sharon when she was giving birth to Faith. Ashley welcomed the baby as her own after Adam gave Faith to her.

When Sharon suffered the loss, she believed that her infant had passed away. Adam Newman inflicted numerous painful wounds through his actions that hurt multiple people. The facts remained concealed for an entire sequence of three months. Eventually, the truth about his scheme came to light, devastating Ashley, Sharon, and their families.

The fact that this betrayal included taking a child, lying about death, and shattering trust between loved ones makes it one of the worst. How far Adam went for his self-interest astounded his fans. The narrative demonstrated how lying can become unmanageable and harm everyone. It permanently altered Adam’s personality and tarnished the legacy of this soap opera.

5. Sami Brady tries to sell her sister (Days of Our Lives)

In Days of Our Lives, viewers have seen Sami Brady move to Salem following a difficult adolescence. Sami was enraged to find that her mother, Marlena Evans, was expecting John Black’s child (who would later become her sibling, Belle). Sami Brady was shocked to find out about her mother’s infatuation with John Black. After this shocking revelation, she decided to abduct Belle from Marlena and try to profit from an unauthorized baby sale. The plan failed when John found Belle after the kidnapping and returned her safely to her mother, Marlena.

People widely regard this act of sisterly betrayal as one of the worst cheats in soap opera history since it displayed a sibling attempting to extinguish her relative through spite and emotional desperation. Sami’s reckless behavior caused permanent injury to her relationships with Marlena and Belle, particularly with Belle.

The authors of this story illustrated the full scope of Sami’s inner conflicts, which shaped her changing personality over the next few years. The betrayal played a turning point in the show, demonstrating how comparable family members justify their actions by citing supposedly valid notions of justice and devotion.

4. Phyllis and Billy Abbott's affair (The Young and the Restless)

During the 2016 season of The Young and the Restless, Phyllis Abbott had an affair with Billy Abbott, her husband Jack Abbott’s younger sibling, which stabbed Jack in the heart. The work partners developed romantic feelings for each other, which dominated their professional relationship until their secret love affair became public. After Phyllis fled with another man, her relationship with Jack ended, and Jack suffered from severe heartbreak.

Since it severed deep familial ties and caused severe emotional damage after discovery, history ranks this infidelity as one of the greatest betrayals in soap opera history. Before this affair, Jack had faith in his brother and wife, but after going through many hardships and finding out about Phyllis’s affair with Billy, he lost all faith in them.

The plot explored deceit, loyalty, and the intricacies of interpersonal relationship issues. Soap opera fans were engaged by this moment and witnessed long-lasting effects, including a change in family dynamics and a rise in heated emotional arguments. The affair between Billy and Phyllis remains a defining moment in The Young and the Restless, illustrating how personal desires can lead to profound consequences.

3. Tracy's ultimate betrayal as a daughter (General Hospital)

The iconic ABC soap opera General Hospital features a fictional character, Tracy Angelica Quartermaine. She comes from the affluent Quartermaine family, the daughter of Edward Quartermaine and his late wife, Lila Quartermaine. Actress Jane Elliot first portrayed the character Tracy Quartermaine in June 1978. Elliot departed the role in June 1980, having worked on the series for two years.

When Tracy Quartermaine declined to give her father, Edward, his cardiac medication following a heart attack in 1980, fans of General Hospital were taken aback. Edward begged Tracy to provide him with his medication during the heart attack, but she refused because he had recently cut her out of his fortune. Edward had fabricated the heart attack to test Tracy’s allegiance, but she was unaware of it. Edward had an emotional breakdown as a result of her denial.

Daily soap audiences were shocked by Tracy’s unwillingness to give her father his heart medication during his heart attack, which revealed both her immense ambition and terrible treachery. When viewers saw a daughter prioritizing the worth of her inheritance over the existence of her beloved father, their emotions were deeply shaken.

2. Vivian Alamain buries Carly Manning alive (Days of Our Lives)

A disturbing moment occurred in 1993 that viewers of Days of Our Lives witnessed. Vivian Alamain developed an evil scheme because she felt jealous of Carly Manning. Vivian gave Carly medication to make it seem as though she had died. Vivian locked Carly in a coffin with limited air through a ventilating system as she disposed of the body in a grave. Vivian talked to Carly through the speaker, which exacerbated her anxiety. Carly was held captive for several weeks before being rescued.

Viewers consider this betrayal the worst because they saw the nasty and frightening activities of Vivian Alamain. Soap opera audiences experienced sheer terror while watching this sinister burial, with only enough airflow to keep the victim alive because of a jealous antagonist. This scene marked a historic milestone within soap operas by showcasing the maximum extent to which villains could act and became eternally memorable in the soap opera’s history.

1. Nicole Walker's baby swap (Days of Our Lives)

Days of Our Lives depicted one of its most tragic betrayals during the 2009 television run. Nicole Walker lost her unborn child as a result of failing to conceive. Her intense fear of losing EJ DiMera’s love pushed her to deprive another woman of her baby. The infant belonged to someone else, yet Nicole presented him as her adopted child. The public later discovered that the abducted child belonged to Sami Brady and EJ DiMera. Nicole managed to break many hearts while causing deep pain to many individuals through her harmful decisions.

In the television world, Days of Our Lives presented a horrific betrayal marked as one of the largest because a character deceived a mother by taking away her child without disclosure. The reality exposed to the world ended all hope between EJ and Nicole while inflicting deep pain throughout numerous families. Soap opera fans particularly remember this transgression because it caused them to feel deeply sorry and emotionally affected.

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The unforgettable betrayals shaped all parts of these television shows while changing their characters permanently. Audiences felt the full weight of pain, anger, and sadness as their favorite characters faced betrayal. The unexpected events showed how love, jealousy, ambition, and fear could turn close bonds into broken relationships.

Every stolen child, buried rival, and fractured family faced lasting consequences for years. These key moments of betrayal proved the soap opera’s ability to create real emotions that stayed with audiences for decades. Soap opera fans know that in daytime dramas, every romance carries the risk of betrayal.