Olivia Spencer, Guiding Light

Olivia Spencer (Crystal Chappell)

On long-running American soap opera Guiding Light, Olivia Spencer had been married five times, with one young daughter, Emma. At one point, she attempted to start a relationship with a new man, Gus, though his newlywed bride Natalia and mother of his young son Rafe, a sweet and naive Catholic woman, was also looking to rekindle that romance.

They were involved in a love triangle that Natalia seemed to be winning, until Gus was killed in an accident and his heart was transplanted into Olivia. Though initially reluctant, Natalia couldn’t help but look after Olivia in the aftermath of her surgery, especially since she worked as a maid in the hotel Olivia ran and lived in.

Olivia and Natalia began to forge their own unique friendship and in December 2008 moved in together. Olivia quickly realized that people believed she and Natalia were lesbian lovers. When she tried to explain that to Natalia, she was unable to say “lesbians” and skirted the issue by using ambiguous terms. Finally, after Natalia still did not comprehend the meaning, Olivia impulsively kissed her.

Olivia realized that she had romantic feelings for Natalia. Natalia, concerned with public perception and her religious beliefs, was having problems facing her feelings for Olivia. Instead, she tried to date Frank Cooper. Olivia dealt openly with her romantic feelings towards Natalia by discussing them with several people in town, and even attempted to verbalize these feelings to Natalia, but Natalia foiled Olivia’s attempts.

Frank proposed to Natalia. Olivia, afraid to lose her heterosexual identity and to subject Natalia and Emma to potential ridicule by others, told Natalia to marry Frank. At the wedding altar, with Olivia as her Maid of Honor, Natalia was unable to say her vows to Frank, and fled the church. Olivia tried to get her to return to the wedding, but Natalia refused and she declared that she could not marry Frank because she did not love him – she loved Olivia. Olivia walked away from Natalia after saying they have no relationship because someday Natalia would regret loving her and Olivia was unable to live with that prospect.

In the aftermath of the failed wedding, Natalia convinced Olivia that she understood the consequences of her declaration of love and that she wants a relationship with Olivia. The two women tried to establish their relationship by dating and spending time with each other, growing more comfortable with each other, and gradually letting others in on their changed status. Olivia and Natalia seemed entirely resolved to face their challenges together. As they did so, they seemed more drawn to each other on a physical level, in ways both tender and flirtatious: increasingly expressing that they were in love.

On April 1, 2009, CBS announced that the 72-year-old production of Guiding Light would cease broadcast on the network after September 18, 2009, effectively ending any long-term plans for the pairing.

Appearances:

• 378 episodes. Season 62 - Season 72

Female love interests:

• Natalia Rivera (Jessica Leccia, main cast)

Relationship story arc with a woman: Yes

Male love interests:

• Joshua Lewis (Robert Newman, main cast, ex-husband)
• Alan Spaulding 💀 (Ron Raines, main cast, ex-husband)
• Phillip Spaulding (Grant Aleksander, main cast, ex-husband)
• Harlan Billy "Bill" Lewis III (Daniel Cosgrove, main cast, ex-husband)
• Jeffrey O'Neill (Bradley Cole, main cast, ex-husband)
• Frank Cooper Jr. (Frank Dicopoulos, main cast)
• Frank "Buzz" Cooper Sr. (Justin Deas, main cast)

Relationship story arc with a man: Yes

Filter Relationship Arc:

• Female (Regular), Male (Regular)

Storyline during sweeps? No

[1] A relationship story arc is defined as explicit, developed on screen, and lasting more than 3 episodes. It is listed as questionable or subtext if romance is only implied, mentioned instead of shown on screen, part of a dream sequence, or otherwise not explicit for the viewer.
[2] Sweeps episodes air in February, May, July and November, the periods when advertising rates are set. A character is marked as "sweeps" when there is a very limited number of episodes that address their sexuality, all air during sweeps period, and the storyline is otherwise ignore/dropped.