Caroline Spencer
Encyclopedia
Caroline Spencer Forrester is a fictional character in the American
soap opera
, The Bold and the Beautiful
. The role was played by Joanna Johnson
from March 23, 1987 to early July 1990. The character is introduced as a sweet and virginal young woman who becomes strong-willed and even self-serving as she is betrayed by the men in her life and by her best friend; but she finds true compassion and selflessness as she dies from leukemia. After her death, retroactive continuity provides her with an identical twin sister (also played by Johnson), but Caroline herself reappears as a ghost in 2001.
, the son of Eric
and Stephanie, who founded and run the prestigious Los Angeles design house where Ridge works. But Bill strongly disapproves of this match. Just before the wedding ceremony, Bill tells Caroline that he had Ridge followed and knows for a fact that he slept with another woman just a week before. She is nevertheless determined to go through with the wedding, but collapses on her way down the aisle. She is rushed to the hospital, where an idolizing young woman from the Valley, Brooke Logan
, visits and befriends her. After she is released, she estranges herself from Ridge and moves into her own apartment
.
d by a man named Ron Deacon (Greg Wrangler). The first person a distraught Caroline calls for support is Brooke. She eventually moves in with the Logans: Brooke and her siblings, Storm, Donna
and Katie
; and Brooke's mother, Beth. Ridge's brother, Thorne
, visits to comfort Caroline, even while Ridge himself knows nothing about what happened. By the time he finds out, Caroline has convinced herself she loves Thorne. During the trial, Ron's lawyer tries to destroy Caroline's reputation by insinuating that she consented to sex. Ridge takes the stand, testifying that Caroline was insistent on remaining a virgin until she was married. Ron ends up in prison.
In her final few weeks, she encourages Brooke and Ridge to spend time together. Caroline believes that only Brooke can console Ridge after her death and chooses her as his second wife. Meanwhile, Ridge divulges Caroline's illness to his family and to Bill, who is particularly devastated.
Ridge's sister, Felicia
, throws a party for Caroline, who uses it as an opportunity to send a message to those she loves. She matches the dancing couples according to how she thinks they should be matched in their lives. She pairs up Stephanie and Eric (who is involved with Brooke) and pairs up Brooke and Ridge. Everyone knows she is dying, but Caroline doesn't know they know. While dancing with her ex-husband, Thorne, she collapses. Ridge carries Caroline to their house. They read the Bible together, and she dies in his arms.
In a January 2001 episode, Caroline comes back as a ghost to talk to Ridge. The two discuss which woman—Brooke or Taylor—he is truly in love with.
, who originally goes by the name of Faith Roberts. This twin sister had never been mentioned previously, and a new background story was created for her. She was kidnapped as an infant and whisked away to Texas, where her parents never found her. Taylor's ex-husband, Blake Hayes
, finally discovers her and uses her to lure Ridge away from Taylor, with whom he wants to reunite. The plot fails; but Karen stays in town and provides the impetus for more storylines, including one in which she and Thorne fall in love. Johnson left the show again later, but she has returned many times to play Karen and even once to play Caroline's ghost (see above).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
. The role was played by Joanna Johnson
Joanna Johnson
Joanna Johnson is an American actress, writer and producer, best known for her roles as Caroline Spencer Forrester and Karen Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful.-Career:...
from March 23, 1987 to early July 1990. The character is introduced as a sweet and virginal young woman who becomes strong-willed and even self-serving as she is betrayed by the men in her life and by her best friend; but she finds true compassion and selflessness as she dies from leukemia. After her death, retroactive continuity provides her with an identical twin sister (also played by Johnson), but Caroline herself reappears as a ghost in 2001.
Caroline's first attempt to marry Ridge
Caroline, the daughter of publishing tycoon Bill Spencer, is engaged to the playboy fashion designer, Ridge ForresterRidge Forrester
Ridge Forrester is a fictional character from the CBS daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. The character was introduced in the series premiere on March 23, 1987 and has been a regular fixture ever since...
, the son of Eric
Eric Forrester
Eric Forrester is a fictional character on the CBS Daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. He has been portrayed by John McCook since the show's debut in 1987...
and Stephanie, who founded and run the prestigious Los Angeles design house where Ridge works. But Bill strongly disapproves of this match. Just before the wedding ceremony, Bill tells Caroline that he had Ridge followed and knows for a fact that he slept with another woman just a week before. She is nevertheless determined to go through with the wedding, but collapses on her way down the aisle. She is rushed to the hospital, where an idolizing young woman from the Valley, Brooke Logan
Brooke Logan
Brooke Logan Forrester is a fictional character from the CBS Daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. She has been portrayed by Katherine Kelly Lang since the series debuted in March 1987, although Catherine Hickland and Sandra Ferguson briefly filled in on two occasions when Lang was on...
, visits and befriends her. After she is released, she estranges herself from Ridge and moves into her own apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
.
Victim of rape
Caroline is rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by a man named Ron Deacon (Greg Wrangler). The first person a distraught Caroline calls for support is Brooke. She eventually moves in with the Logans: Brooke and her siblings, Storm, Donna
Donna Forrester
Donna Logan is a fictional character on CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. The character was played by Carrie Mitchum on a contract basis from 1987 to 1991 and made guest appearances in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2001...
and Katie
Katie Logan
Katherine Elizabeth "Katie" Logan Spencer is a fictional character in the American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She was played by actress Nancy Sloan in a contract role from 1987 to 1989, was recurring from 1994 to 1996, and continued to make guest appearances in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2004...
; and Brooke's mother, Beth. Ridge's brother, Thorne
Thorne Forrester
Thorne Forrester is a fictional character on CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. The character has been played by Winsor Harmon since December 1996; previously, the role was played by Clayton Norcross from the show's premier in 1987 until 1989, then by Jeff Trachta from 1989 until 1996.-The...
, visits to comfort Caroline, even while Ridge himself knows nothing about what happened. By the time he finds out, Caroline has convinced herself she loves Thorne. During the trial, Ron's lawyer tries to destroy Caroline's reputation by insinuating that she consented to sex. Ridge takes the stand, testifying that Caroline was insistent on remaining a virgin until she was married. Ron ends up in prison.
Caroline's first husband
Ridge writes Caroline a love letter, but Brooke conspires with Thorne to hide it. Caroline learns of their deception only after she weds Thorne, causing a rift in their marriage and in her friendship with Brooke, who is now dating Ridge. Her marriage is further undermined when a drunken Ridge tricks Caroline by slipping into her bed; but Caroline is also drunk and thinks it's Thorne (or pretends to herself that she thinks it's Thorne) and they have sex. When Thorne learns what happened, he gets drunk and shoots Ridge in the back of the head. Stricken with amnesia (caused by a mixture of the alcohol and sleeping pills), he forgets both Caroline's disloyalty and his shooting of Ridge; but Stephanie knows everything. She is terrified when she learns that Caroline plans to leave Thorne because she is certain it will trigger Thorne's memory, and he'll attack Ridge again. But Caroline is becoming assertive, and Stephanie's attempts to manipulate her fail. When she learns the truth of the shooting, she is all the more determined to leave Thorne. He eventually does remember the attempted murder (thanks not to Caroline, but to a devious schemer named Deveney Dixon) and nearly shoots Ridge again. The two brothers eventually reconcile, but Caroline's marriage is over.Caroline makes her move on Ridge
Caroline is still married to Thorne when she realizes she never stopped loving Ridge. She is devastated when Brooke reveals she is pregnant by Ridge but determined to make her move on him when they announce their wedding date. Brooke has a miscarriage, which leaves Ridge to make a free choice between the two women. After spending some time alone, he chooses Caroline. Ridge and Caroline marry in January 1990. The two of them are happy for about six months.Caroline's short-lived marriage to Ridge
Only six months into the marriage, Caroline is diagnosed with leukemia and and has only months to live. She keeps her illness a secret, wanting to have as much unclouded happiness with Ridge as possible before she dies. Brooke, who ran Caroline's blood test, knows about the illness. She believes Ridge should know, too, and asks Caroline's oncologist, Dr. Taylor Hamilton-Hayes, to break the news to him. Ridge is devastated. As a sign of his everlasting love, he gives Caroline a charm bracelet, each charm representing the wedding anniversaries they will be missing.In her final few weeks, she encourages Brooke and Ridge to spend time together. Caroline believes that only Brooke can console Ridge after her death and chooses her as his second wife. Meanwhile, Ridge divulges Caroline's illness to his family and to Bill, who is particularly devastated.
Ridge's sister, Felicia
Felicia Forrester
Felicia Forrester is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She was previously played by actress Lesli Kay from November 2005 to November 2009, and October to December 2010. Previously the character was portrayed by Colleen Dion-Scotti from 1990 to 1992, 1997,and...
, throws a party for Caroline, who uses it as an opportunity to send a message to those she loves. She matches the dancing couples according to how she thinks they should be matched in their lives. She pairs up Stephanie and Eric (who is involved with Brooke) and pairs up Brooke and Ridge. Everyone knows she is dying, but Caroline doesn't know they know. While dancing with her ex-husband, Thorne, she collapses. Ridge carries Caroline to their house. They read the Bible together, and she dies in his arms.
Caroline's dying wish
Before her death, Caroline tells Brooke and Ridge they should reunite after she is gone; but Brooke is set to marry Eric, whose child she is carrying. After Caroline dies, Brooke tells Ridge she will be there for him, but only as a friend. Ridge ends up marrying Caroline's oncologist, Taylor; Brooke marries Eric. But over the years, Caroline's dying wish is honored, dishonored and re-honored, as Brooke and Ridge repeatedly reunite and break apart. In a December 1992 episode, Brooke specifically reminds Ridge of Caroline's dying wish as an attempt to reunite with him. In a 2008 episode, Ridge and Brooke (who are now together) make reference to it.In a January 2001 episode, Caroline comes back as a ghost to talk to Ridge. The two discuss which woman—Brooke or Taylor—he is truly in love with.
Caroline's twin sister
When Joanna Johnson returned to the show, she did so as Caroline's identical twin sister, KarenKaren Spencer
Karen Spencer is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. The character was created as a means of bringing Joanna Johnson back to the show after Caroline Spencer was killed off: Karen is Caroline's previously unmentioned identical twin sister. The character appeared...
, who originally goes by the name of Faith Roberts. This twin sister had never been mentioned previously, and a new background story was created for her. She was kidnapped as an infant and whisked away to Texas, where her parents never found her. Taylor's ex-husband, Blake Hayes
Blake Hayes
Blake Hayes was a fictional character in the American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. He was played by actor Peter Brown from 1991 to 1992.-Taylor's first husband:...
, finally discovers her and uses her to lure Ridge away from Taylor, with whom he wants to reunite. The plot fails; but Karen stays in town and provides the impetus for more storylines, including one in which she and Thorne fall in love. Johnson left the show again later, but she has returned many times to play Karen and even once to play Caroline's ghost (see above).