Famous soap opera couples

Arts and Culture

The best-known couples in soap opera history.

The rape at the disco, the breakdown, the brainwashing, the deadly virus, and of course the wedding of the century: Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) of 'General Hospital' have been through it all. Here are a few more of soap's power couples ...

Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) thought her husband Roman was back, but it was really John Black (Drake Hogestyn) on 'Days of Our Lives.' Their love has endured his multiple identities, her possession by the devil and her 'death.' He died from complications of a hit-and-run just as it seemed they would finally be together.

Jesse Hubbard and Angie Baxter met and married young on 'All My Children,' and later he joined the Pine Valley police force.

Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) has been raped, attacked and kidnapped on 'Days of Our Lives.' Her love, Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols), has always been there to rescue her. After his 'death,' Kayla eventually left town. When she returned for a wedding, Steve was there, too, but he didn't know who he was. Now it was Kayla's turn to help him remember their life together.

Hope Williams (Kristian Alfonso) and Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) married young, had a son and sailed into the sunset. Bo returned to Salem after Hope's 'death.' Not that, her kidnapping or even the death of their son at the hands of Bo's daughter could keep them apart. So are the 'Days of Our Lives.'

Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) transformed young stripper Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) into a pillar of society on 'The Young and the Restless.' Through infidelity, business arguments, crime, breakups, reunions and more breakups, the Newmans always seem to get back together -- till next time.

Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald (Lindsay Korman) knew 'fate' would bring her and Ethan Winthrop (Eric Martsolf) together from the time she met him as a teen on 'Passions.' She helped it out by doing everything from trying to sabotage his relationship with Gwen to raping him and giving birth to his daughter. They finally married, but it was ruled invalid.

Chad Harris (Charles Divins) didn't know who his parents were when he met Whitney Russell (Brook Kerr) on 'Passions.' They fell in love, conceived a child, then found out they're siblings. But wait! They weren't related after all, so they married, but her discovery of his gay affair caused them to separate. Before they could reconcile, his biological father killed him. Whitney mourned, proving she still loved him.

Reva Shayne (Kim Zimmer) was the daughter of the Lewis' housekeeper. Despite their difference in class, she and Josh Lewis (Robert Newman) became childhood sweethearts on 'Guiding Light.' They've broken up and gotten back together more times than you can count, but there's definitely something between them: they've been married three times.

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The rape at the disco, the breakdown, the brainwashing, the deadly virus, and of course the wedding of the century: Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) of 'General Hospital' have been through it all. Here are a few more of soap's power couples ...

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People march in Bishop Park in Athens on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Protesters gathered in 10 different locations around Georgia’s Congressional District 10, leading up to a “Democracy Fair” at Bishop Park as part of a nationwide day of “No Kings” demonstrations. Organizers estimate that a few thousand people participated, many of them first-time protesters. (C.J. Bartunek for the AJC)

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PHOTOS: An early look at CNN Center's redevelopment in downtown Atlanta

PHOTOS: Wayfair opens first Atlanta store

PHOTOS: Hawks defeat Celtics in key East battle

PHOTOS: 'No Kings' rally at Bishop Park in Athens, Ga.