Jude Cooper Bauer

Infobox soap character
series = Guiding Light
name= Jude Cooper Bauer
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gender = Male
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Jude Cooper Bauer is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera "Guiding Light". He is currently portrayed by Robert Danza, Jr. since 2007.

Character history

Jude Cooper Bauer was born in the fall of 2001, the product of a one-night stand between friends Harley Cooper and Rick Bauer. Throughout her pregnancy, Harley not only had the support of the Cooper and Bauer families but also newcomer Gus Aitoro. While the FBI agent was a pit bull towards everyone else, regarding Harley and her unborn child he was surprisingly gentle. Gus even ended up delivering Harley's baby (with Rick's help) when the pair accidentally got locked in a jail cell together. Days later, Rick and Harley agonized over what to name to child. Gus, deciding they were over thinking, quickly asked Harley her favorite song. Her response was "Hey, Jude". Suddenly the parents realized they had a winner. Not long after, Harley asked Rick to marry her so they could be a family. Although Rick agreed, he called it off, in 2002, when he spotted Harley in a kiss with Gus. (Besides, he had his own romantic feelings toward Mel Boudreau) Rick convinced Harley that it wouldn't be right to marry since they didn't love each other and they resolved to be good friends instead. The summer of that year, Jude almost lost his father when Rick developed heart failure. Luckily, he received a heart transplant and made a full recovery. However, while Rick was sick, Harley's ex-husband, Phillip Spaulding, took her to court for custody of their son, Zach, as well as Jude because he felt Gus was an unsuitable father figure. In the meantime, Rick married Mel and Harley was fully committed to Gus. In 2004, an unstable Phillip kidnapped Jude along with his own children. Although everyone begged Phillip to return the children, he refused to tell anyone where they were. Although all seemed lost when Phillip was shot, and pronounced dead, Gus was able to locate the children and reunite them with their parents. In 2005, Harley was arrested for Phillip's murder, but all Zach and Jude knew was that their mother was going away for a long time. Before going to prison, Harley tried to make the boys understand that she had to leave. At the same time, the Coopers were thrown out of their home and Rick allowed the entire Cooper clan to stay at his house. Thankfully, by the end of summer Harley was exonerated for Phillip's murder and the Coopers were able to move back into the family restaurant Company. Also that summer, Gus and Harley finally married. In 2006, Gus suddenly disappeared and was presumed dead. Though he ended up returning to the family, a leg injury left him addicted to pills. Although he tried to wean himself off, it proved harder than he thought. Gus's condition, or his arguments with Harley, didn't go unnoticed by Zach. When Jude asked why Gus wasn't around, Zach told him it was because Gus did drugs. Not long after, Harley took the kids and left Springfield hoping Gus would get his act together when they were gone. About a month later, Harley and the kids returned and Harley was pleased to find that Gus was cleaned up. Rick however, had doubts and informed Harley that he didn't want Jude anywhere near Gus--difficult since Jude adored Gus. Soon after, Rick realized he was wrong and allowed Jude to stay with his mother, brother, and Gus.