Questionable intentions: 7 Daily soaps characters that are always hard to find trustworthy 

Untrustworthy Characters in Soap Operas | Images via Peacock TV, ABC and CBS
Untrustworthy Characters in Soap Operas | Images via Peacock TV, ABC and CBS

Soap operas are decorated with stories that are dramatic and have hidden secrets and faithless relationships. The untrustworthy nature of particular characters comes across more than the rest. These untrustworthy characters showed their deception through lies, cheating, criminal activities, and deceptive conduct.

Viewers observed these characters causing suffering to the people around them. They brought numerous twists that generated excitement throughout the narrative. The compilation presents unfaithful characters from five popular soap operas like Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, The Young and the Restless, Coronation Street, and The Bold and the Beautiful. Each character achieved their goals through lying in ways that caused maximum damage to those who loved them sincerely.

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


The list of 7 Daily soap opera characters that are always hard to find trustworthy is given below:

7. Victor Kiriakis (Days of Our Lives)

Victor Kiriakis in Days of Our Lives | Image via Peacock TV
Victor Kiriakis in Days of Our Lives | Image via Peacock TV

Victor Kiriakis is considered untrustworthy on Days of Our Lives. Fans know him for his numerous criminal acts and manipulative personality traits. When viewers first saw him in the TV show, he presented himself as an unscrupulous criminal boss who directed illegal shipping operations and produced illegal drugs before entering the publishing business with organized crime associations.

Moreover, viewers know him as a fraud since he tried to find legal custody of his granddaughter Claire during the custody battle. Victor used the judicial system to gain sole parental rights of Claire after his son, Philip, vanished, even though Shawn and Belle had been caring for her. Their familial tie to Claire did not protect them from Victor's manipulation, which forced them to leave the country for her safety.

This decision hardened the bond with his family, illustrating his willingness to make unethical choices to fulfill his needs. Viewers, Shawn, and Belle now see Victor Kiriakis as someone who benefits himself before everything else, while remaining untrustworthy.


6. Carly Corinthos (General Hospital)

Carly Corinthos in General Hospital | Image via ABC
Carly Corinthos in General Hospital | Image via ABC

In General Hospital, Carly Corinthos is known for her manipulation and unexpected choices, which make it hard to believe her trustworthiness. The lies she frequently tells in her relationships tarnish her reputation by showcasing that she prioritizes her interests over loyal commitments. Carly’s lie that Jason Morgan was Michael's father is one of her most outrageous acts. It prevented A.J. Quartermaine from having a chance to bond with his grandson. Michael's connections and identity were permanently altered due to this pretense.

Carly reveals herself as unpredictable because she finds ways to rationalize actions that cause harm to others. In the 5 families meeting, she showed her leadership by warning Cyrus Renault about any takeover attempt that would result in war.

Many characters find it difficult to trust her since she is eager to use her power to manipulate events, even when doing so puts them at risk. Carly is a fascinating but ethically complex character in the soap opera world because of her intense devotion to her loved ones, which frequently comes at the expense of honesty.


5. Ava Jerome (General Hospital)

Maura West as Ava Jerome in General Hospital | Image via ABC
Maura West as Ava Jerome in General Hospital | Image via ABC

Maura West stars as Ava Jerome on the popular daytime TV show General Hospital, which airs on ABC. As of 2024, Ava is Victor Jerome's last surviving child and the only person known to be alive. She is the type of person who breaks down in tears at a funeral that she organized. Viewers were stunned when she arranged for Connie Falconeri’s death to protect her relationship with Morgan’s father. However, she was left heartbroken later when Kiki met a tragic fate.

Ava intentionally manipulated Morgan Corinthos' feelings while he was dealing with mental health issues. Later, she acted as if she hadn’t contributed to his struggles, mourning him as if she were an innocent bystander. Betrayal followed Ava like a shadow, despite her frequent declarations that she wanted to be saved.

Ava continued to care about her child, Avery, despite plotting by forming alliances with dangerous individuals and striking economic deals behind closed doors. During her brief moments of authentic benevolence, she succeeded in gaining advantages from the weaknesses of others later. Every instance of authenticity from her resulted in impaling somebody with a blade.

Audiences failed to believe in Ava because she confused grief and guilt with calculation and compassion. The chaotic events of the plot do not limit her because she becomes a source of turmoil. Ava perfected trust as a sinister instrument, which she applied expertly in her world.


4. Adam Newman (The Young and the Restless)

Mark Grossman as Adam Newman in The Young and the Restless | Image via ABC
Mark Grossman as Adam Newman in The Young and the Restless | Image via ABC

Mark Grossman presently plays Genoa City resident Victor Adam Newman Jr. He has proved that trust is a strategic weapon in his arsenal. Adam performed his death twice, leading him to reclaim power at Newman Enterprises through various fake identities.

He persisted in using gaslighting tactics to control Ashley during her mental collapse before witnessing her total collapse. The Young and the Restless audience remembers how Adam secretly exchanged babies between Ashley and Sharon, which caused Sharon to believe her infant had passed away. There was a harmful pattern of dishonesty between him and Chelsea. This included telling lies, being absent for periods, and returning without asking for forgiveness.

Adam even fired a shot at Victor, but he said it was an accident. Sometimes, he showed human qualities such as saving Faith's life or becoming close to Connot, but those are brief.

As spectators begin to believe he is changing, he commits another betrayal. Fans could not trust Adam since his regrets never lasted. He uses vulnerability as an advantage and thrives in chaos. Devastation often accompanies his declarations of wanting a fresh start.


3. Tracy McDonald (Coronation Street)

Tracy McDonald in Coronation Street | Image via Prime Video
Tracy McDonald in Coronation Street | Image via Prime Video

Tracy McDonald has spent the majority of her life living on Coronation Street. She was a sensitive youngster who had two failed marriages. Moreover, she developed into a melancholy, gloomy adolescent. Tracy started as a conspiring character by making choices that benefited her at the expense of her loved ones. She made a false claim that Roy Cropper was the father of her daughter, Amy, when in fact, Steve McDonald was the real father. She did this to gain money and influence from him.

Tracy acted in a specific episode of brutal murder by killing her boyfriend Charlie Stubbs while presenting it as self-defense to justify evading punishment. All of her selfish and cunning characteristics leave viewers tense about her collectively unplanned actions in personal relationships.

According to the deep-seated pattern of duplicity and manipulation, Tracy shows repeated behavior of betraying trust for her selfish purposes. Multiple unfaithful deeds from her character shock audiences while frustrating them through the entire narrative.


2. Todd Grimshaw (Coronation Street)

Todd Grimshaw in Coronation Street | Image via Prime Video
Todd Grimshaw in Coronation Street | Image via Prime Video

During his time on Coronation Street, the audience saw that Todd Grimshaw, who seems friendly on the outside, is quite good at tricking and misleading people. He carefully designs two types of malicious plans, starting with family-destroying plots while also making foolish decisions by running from his wrongdoing. During that time, Todd intentionally destroyed his work career before leaving Weatherfield with a young child, which worsened the relationship tension between him and his friends and family.

His reputation as untrustworthy is exacerbated by his tendency to use violence, including attacking a police officer during a frantic escape. Fans are disenchanted because of his numerous misdeeds, which constantly upset the balance of his connections due to his inability to keep his word or show true loyalty. The audience is still wary and dissatisfied with his persistently dishonest strategies.


1. Sheila Carter (The Bold and the Beautiful)

Kimberlin Brown Pelzer as Sheila Carter in The Bold and the Beautiful | Image via CBS
Kimberlin Brown Pelzer as Sheila Carter in The Bold and the Beautiful | Image via CBS

Sheila Carter Sharpe appears in The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless. Beginning in 1990 and continuing for a long time on both soap operas until 2006, when the character had plastic surgery to resemble Phyllis Summers, it was played by Michelle Stafford.

Sheila has created a habit of pretending to be dead so she can put on different costumes and use fake identities to escape consequences for her actions. She conducts paternity examination manipulation while abducting close people and uses intense, violent measures to achieve her objectives. Her dangerous actions have broken trust among supporters and opponents who now watch her actions with distrust.

Fans experience deep betrayal each time she comes back because her unpredictable nature and multiple personas make every arrival meet concerns with nervousness. The constant letdown marks her lasting impact on her audience.


We can conclude that the behaviors of these soap opera characters surprised every viewer. They deceived lovers, family, and friends. Their falsehoods caused heartbreak and altered lives. Despite their assurances that they would reform, viewers could never trust them. Their actions generated drama and held attention. The story of these characters felt real and intense even though it was fictional. They reminded fans of the various ways in which confidence can be betrayed. These names will live on in the history of soap operas as some of the most unreliable TV personalities.

Edited by Priscillah Mueni