The evil Daphne Dumas
Daphne Dumas (Lauralee Bell) was a villainess from V.C. Andrews' Landry Series, as well as the Lifetime film adaptations. She served as the main villainess of the first two films, Ruby (airdate March 20, 2021) and Pearl in the Mist (airdate March 21, 2021).
Ruby[]
Daphne Dumas was introduced in Ruby as the wife of Pierre Dumas, as well as the stepmother of twin sisters Gisselle Dumas and Ruby Landry, the latter twin being the main protagonist. The opening moments in Ruby revealed that both sisters were the result of Pierre's affair with Gabrielle Landry, who died after giving birth to her daughters, with Ruby being raised by her grandmére, Catherine Landry, in the Bayou, while Gisselle was raised in the lavish Dumas home. Ruby learned the truth about Pierre from Catherine, who made the revelation on her deathbed.
Following Catherine's death, Ruby went to the Landry home and introduced herself to Gisselle as her twin sister and Pierre's biological daughter. While Pierre was welcoming towards Ruby, Daphne was the opposite, as she looked down on Ruby's Bayou upbringing. Her elitist demeanor increased during her first one-on-one conversation with Ruby, as she advised Ruby to portray herself as a woman who was abducted by Bayou inhabitants as an infant, doing so to keep up appearances. Daphne's antipathy towards Ruby continued throughout the film, as after Gisselle survived a car accident but ended up badly injured, she lashed out at Ruby--adding that Ruby's appearance caused bad things to befall the Dumas household.
Afterwards, Daphne turned heel by having Ruby forcibly committed to a mental institution, doing so by manipulating Ruby into visiting her uncle (Pierre's brother) Jean Dumas. Ruby agreed to accompany Daphne, only to learn after arrival that she was in a mental institution, which had Jean as a patient; while also realizing that she had been involuntarily committed by her evil stepmother. Ruby escaped and confronted Daphne during a lavish gathering, while revealing her true upbringing as well as Daphne's actions, leading Pierre to stand up for Ruby and announce that there would be no more deceit amongst the Dumas family.
Pearl in the Mist[]
Daphne's chilly demeanor towards Ruby continued in Pearl in the Mist, which saw both Ruby and Gisselle being sent to Greenwood, an all-girls' boarding school. Later on, Ruby was informed by Gisselle that Pierre had died of a heart attack, and regarding Daphne, she informed both girls that things would change after Pierre's death, as she became strict towards both girls. The villainess' strict conduct was mainly focused towards Ruby, as she callously reminded Ruby that she was no longer under Pierre's protection, using his death to continue to berate and bully Ruby into obeying Daphne's demands.
When Ruby stood up to Daphne, she was prohibited from attending Pierre's funeral by Daphne, and upon learning about Ruby being pregnant with Beau's child, the evil Daphne ordered Ruby to undergo an abortion, while also banning her from seeing Beau ever again. Ruby went to the hospital, only to escape back to her Bayou household and reunite with Paul Tate--her ex-boyfriend, who Ruby broke up with after learning that Paul was her half-brother. Ruby gave birth to her child, a daughter named Pearl, in the end of the film, and regarding Daphne, Gisselle revealed to Ruby in All That Glitters (which took place a few years after the second film) that Daphne was killed in a riding accident; having fallen off her horse and striking her head on a rock.
Trivia[]
- This was Lauralee Bell's first villainous Lifetime movie role.