Roxy Balsom

Infobox soap character
name = Roxy Balsom
series = One Life to Live
portrayer = Ilene Kristen
first = November 2001 [http://www.soapcentral.com/oltl/whoswho/roxanne.php Roxanne Balsom - SoapCentral.com] ]
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caption1 = Ilene Kristen as Roxy Balsom, from the "One Life to Live" opening sequence


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gender = Female
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occupation = Beautician; Owner of Foxy Roxy's Hair Haven
Proprietor of the Angel Square Hotel
Owns the Break Bar (later renamed Roxy's)
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residence = Angel Square Hotel
parents = Stella Lipschitz
siblings =
spouse = Dr. Walter Balsom (deceased)
Max Holden (May 16 2002-January 24 2003; divorced)
romances = Asa Buchanan
Nigel Bartholomew-Smythe
Miles Laurence
children = Rex Balsom
Natalie Buchanan (foster daughter)
grandchildren = Shane Morasco
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color = #99BADD

Roxanne "Roxy" Balsom (née Lipchitz; previously Holden)Roxy's maiden name "Lipschitz" is revealed on the January 29 2008 episode.] is a fictional character on ABC's daytime drama "One Life to Live". She has been played by Ilene Kristen since November 2001. [Kristen had also appeared on "OLTL" in the 1980s as Georgina Whitman, a love interest for Bo Buchanan.]

Character history

Roxy was introduced in 2001 as the wild, irresponsible mother of Natalie and Rex Balsom. It soon was revealed, however, that Natalie was actually the biological daughter of Viki Lord Davidson and Clint Buchanan. At first it was believed that when Allison Perkins had kidnapped the Buchanan baby in 1987, another child was returned and grew up to be Jessica Buchanan. Jessica began a tenuous relationship with Roxy, whom she believed to be her mother, and with Roxy's biological son Rex. But when a DNA test on Jessica proved that she was also Viki's daughter, the real story came out.

Viki's longtime enemy Mitch Laurence, who had masterminded the kidnapping, had secretly raped a drugged Viki around the same time she conceived a child with Clint. Viki unknowingly became pregnant with fraternal twins, one fathered by Clint (Natalie) and the other fathered by Mitch (Jessica). Dr. Walter Balsom, who had been one of religious leader Mitch's disciples, took Mitch's daughter during delivery, and Viki never knew she'd had more than one child. Mitch, however, wanted his daughter to grow up loved by Viki in the lap of luxury, and sent Allison to kidnap Clint's child. They replaced her with Mitch's daughter (who would become Jessica), and gave Clint's daughter (who would become Natalie) to Dr. Balsom and his wife Roxy. Walter later died, and Roxy turned out to be an irresponsible and absent mother for much of Natalie's childhood in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In Las Vegas, Roxy ended up running into her former lover, and Llanview resident, Max Holden, who was in Vegas and drinking heavily. Roxy was a hard partier and helped Max guzzle away his troubles. The next morning Max woke up in bed with Roxy, and to his horror, saw matching wedding bands. Roxy had tricked him into a quickie marriage, prenup, and even had a video of the whole thing! In the sober light of day, Max despised the trashy, slovenly, pathetic Roxy, and went out of his way to be cruel to her in hope she would divorce him. His and Al's various attacks on her spirit went nowhere, but suddenly luck was on Max's side when Roxy up and vanished one day. She tried calling him, but he hung up on her each time, feeling only slight pangs of remorse. A few days later Max found out that Roxy had been held hostage and nearly killed by Allison Perkins, but was more interested in keeping Roxy out of the way a bit longer in order to claim abandonment and win a fast divorce with fortune intact. He showered love on his bride and tried to keep her away from the courthouse long enough to win his freedom. But Roxy showed up, exposing his lies, and Judge Fitzwater gave her the opportunity to dump Max and take everything he owned. To Fitzwater and Max's surprise, Roxy chose Max over the cash. Although relieved, Max continued to shun Roxy, even making a deal with old enemy Asa Buchanan to help Asa escape his sham marriage to Rae if Asa would do the same with Roxy. Then Max tracked Roxy down to Philadelphia, assuming she was cheating with Asa. Instead, she was visiting her vile, hateful mother, who passed up no opportunity to make Roxy feel like garbage. Max stunned both himself and Roxy by barging into the room to defend her. Max realized that he was falling in love with Roxy and called the deal off with Asa. But Rae had already figured out the plan and manipulated Roxy on every level, even flinging herself on Max so Roxy would catch them in a compromising position. Roxy's heart was shattered and she could no longer trust Max. In spite of his fervent pleas, Roxy divorced him and was awarded everything he owned. With that money, Roxy was able to buy her own hair salon, Foxy Roxy's Hair Haven.

After she divorced Max Holden, she became a very wealthy woman after getting the Holden House, the Break Bar, which she renamed Roxy's and the bank account which was worth $1,000,000.

The character is known for her constant malapropisms, which most other characters ignore and find amusing.

Notes and references

External links

* [http://abc.go.com/daytime/onelifetolive/characters/bio?pn=characterbio&character=Roxanne%20Balsom Roxanne Balsom profile - ABC.com]
* [http://www.soapcentral.com/oltl/whoswho/roxanne.php Roxanne Balsom profile - SoapCentral.com]