7 most unhinged mothers in daily soaps, ranked by how quickly they’d slap someone at brunch

The world of daily soaps is fascinating. From over-the-top drama to scheming characters who are no less in their Machiavellian plottings, every character in operas adds drama. However, mothers are one of the most central characters in any soap opera, and while there have been good mothers on screen who have been nurturing and loving, there have also been some of the most iconic mothers, who have left their maternal instincts aside and resorted to plotting, planning, and even killing. Here are seven unhinged mothers in daily soaps, ranked by how quickly they can let loose their impulsive side and slap someone at brunch.

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Brooke Logan, Harmony Miller, and other unhinged mothers from soap operas

7. Dina Mergeron from The Young and the Restless

Dina Mergeron is an interesting and unhinged mother from the world of daily soaps and has enough evidence of unhinged behavior in her past. The character has been played by Marla Adams, who does a forceful and powerful job of portraying the strong-willed lady. Dina is introduced as being from the upper-class society of Genoa City. She was the first wife of John Abbott. Dina is one of those characters who has always made sure that she moves ahead in life and has been a shrewd businesswoman. While she had multiple children and tried to be a good mother to them, which resulted in them making up at the end, Dina still had her fair share of misadventures throughout her character’s arc. She has had her own set of misdemeanors like getting arrested for stabbing Nikki Newman with a knife, kidnapping Nick Newman’s toddler, Christian, shooting Brent Davis but missing and hitting Katherine Chancellor instead, and injecting Graham Bloodworth with a toxic chemical in self-defense. The character, therefore, has a long history of committing serious crimes, and slapping someone at brunch is the least she can do to stir up trouble.

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6. Phyllis Newman from The Young and the Restless

Portrayed by actresses like Michelle Stafford, Gina Tognoni, and others, Phyllis Newman is another troublemaker in the land of daily soaps. The character is introduced as the daughter of George Summers and Lydia Callahan, and her misadventures started from the very beginning. Used to getting her way, Phyllis was introduced as the obsessed fan of rock star Danny Romalotti, and her heights of unhinged behavior know no bounds as she drugged him, slept with him, and told him that she was pregnant with his child. Phyllis also tried to run down Danny’s ex-wife, Christine, but ran over Paul Williams instead. The recklessness of her nature is visible because of other instances where she has behaved in an unhinged manner. Phyllis has slapped several people like Heather, Kelly, Alex, and more, which makes her the perfect addition to this list. Just a little problem, and Phyllis is ready to throw hands at anyone who is near her. Apart from slapping, she has also had an affair with Nick Newman while he was married to Sharon Newman and has even punched a couple of people, like Patty Williams and Diane. Phyllis is, therefore, one of the most unhinged and reckless mothers in the history of daily soaps.

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5. Nina Reeves from General Hospital

Impulsive and brash, Nina Reeves is the perfect candidate for this lost-on-unhinged-mothers. Portrayed by actors like Michelle Stafford and Cynthia Watros, the character has always been a source of trouble. Nine was introduced as the daughter of wealthy Dan Reeves and the socialite Madeline Reeves. As Nina belongs to a wealthy background and was spoiled by her father, she has had impulsive tendencies since the beginning and cannot stand anyone in her way or let anyone take away anything from her. So unhinged is Nina that she even pushed her mother down the stairs. Apart from that, she has also done several unhinged behaviors like breaking into Silas’s apartment, blackmailing Rosalie, faking injury, and even drugging Silas with the intent of molesting him! Nina is truly the embodiment of devious behavior, and her impulsive nature has added a lot of drama to the show. While Nina is a mother and should have been more responsible, she only exhibits reckless behavior and has made sure that she meddles in everyone’s affairs. She, therefore, makes for the perfect candidate for this list of unhinged mothers in daily soaps, as her actions and behaviors have repeatedly shown that she is beyond redemption and loves to add drama wherever she goes.

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4. Stephanie Forrester from The Bold and the Beautiful

Stephanie Forrester is the archetypal mother of daily soaps. Larger-than-life and someone who loves her children dearly. But she is also someone who does not think twice when it comes to seeking revenge. While Stephanie is a strong woman and overprotects her children, she also behaves in unhinged ways and plots in a devious manner to get what she wants. Her long-standing rivalry with Brooke Logan is iconic as Brooke was first a competitor for her husband Eric Forrester’s love, and then, she gets involved with two of her sons. While Ridge is Stephanie’s favorite, she does sideline Thorne quite a bit. The character has been portrayed by Susan Flannery since the show's inception, and her performance is iconic. The strong-willed mother has turned to devious ways since the beginning. She lied to Eric about Ridge being his child so that he leaves Beth Logan and marries her, even though it is revealed many years later that Ridge was Massimo Marone’s son. Stephanie has also forced Morgan DeWitt into aborting Ridge’s child. And speaking of unhinged mothers slapping at brunch, Stephanie has a record of slapping the various women in the show.

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3. Carly Corinthos from General Hospital

One of the most popular characters in the show, Carly Corinthos, is known for her devious ways and therefore makes her spot in the most unhinged mothers in daily soaps list. The character has been played by various actresses like Sarah Joy Brown, Laura Wright, and more. Carly was introduced as the illegitimate daughter of Bobbie Spencer, who was herself a former bad girl. From the beginning, Carly spared no one from her wrath and did not believe in any boundaries or morality. She seduced her mother’s husband for revenge after she found out that her mother had put her up for adoption and had feuds with most of the women in the show. The character also gained popularity for her pairings with the mobster Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan. Even though over the years, she has become the mother of several children, Carly is one character whom you can trust to set aside all her motherly affection for pure and hot-blooded revenge. Over the years, Carly has stolen Charlotte Roberts’ identity, drugged AJ Quartermaine, broken into Hannah’s apartment, and much more. Therefore, Carly is unhinged when it comes to seeking revenge. An unhinged character like hers would have no qualms slapping someone, as she has previously slapped Hannah Scott on the show.

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2. Harmony Miller from General Hospital

Also known as Lorraine, Harmony Miller is another troublemaker mother in the world of soap operas. Played by actress Inga Cadranel, who infuses the chaotic character with energy, Harmony was introduced as the ex-girlfriend of Shiloh and was a part of the cult called “Dawn of Day”. It seems that her being a member of the cult left a mark on her, which resulted in her subsequent reckless behaviors. Her list of misdemeanors and reckless behavior is long. She has illegally raised Nina Reeves’ daughter Willow as her own, tried to drug Willow, also drugged Kristina Corinthos-Davis, broke into Alexis Davis’ house, and even resorted to murder and killed Dr. Neil Byrne by injecting him with Cyrus’ product. Further, Harmony has also tried to kill Alexis by hitting her on the head with a rock, strangled Brendon, and became a fugitive who was being hunted by the law. Her inclusion in this list, therefore, makes sense as Harmony is one character who is the total opposite of her name’s meaning, and slapping someone is the least of her worries.

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1. Brooke Logan from The Bold and the Beautiful

If Stephanie is on this list, then Brooke can never be far behind. One of the ultimate vixens in the history of daily soaps, Brooke Logan, is as aggressive a character as she is iconic. Not only is she one of the core characters of the show, but she is also known for her devious ways and her constant fight with Stephanie Forrester. The character has been attached to the show since the beginning, and has been embodied by Katherine Kelly Lang, who has made the role memorable with her strong-willed performance. Brooke is introduced as the daughter of Stephan Logan and Beth Henderson and has five children. Her pairing with Eric Forrester and then with his son, Ridge, is an iconic staple of daily soap history. Brooke always behaves in a calculated manner, but even she has her moments. Over the show’s many years, Brooke has cheated multiple times, slapped multiple people, and more. She has also kidnapped her own children, Rick and Bridget Forrester, and fled to Barbados. Her devious mechanisms do not end with her. She has also resorted to attacking people like Amber Moore and tried to strangle Stephanie with a feather boa. Further, because of her rivalry with Stephanie, she has fired a gun at Stephanie once and even pulled Stephanie’s breathing tube from the ventilator she was on. Her entry in this list of unhinged mothers is therefore mandatory.