Ethan Winthrop and Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald
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Ethan Winthrop and Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald are fictional characters and a supercouple on the American soap opera Passions. Ethan Winthrop was previously played by Travis Schuldt (1999-2002). Eric Martsolf (2002-present) took over the role after Schultz's departure from the soap. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald is played by Lindsay Hartley.
[edit] History
(Beginning in early 2002.)
Ethan continued to decline Theresa's advances, feeling that he just couldn't trust her any more. Despite all of that, though, he was still drawn to Theresa, despite also being drawn back to his first love, Gwen. Ethan and Gwen get closer, and become lovers again, but when Ethan learned that Theresa had confessed to killing Julian Crane, he and Gwen try to get her off, both believing that she was innocent. What Ethan didn't realize is that Theresa thought she was covering for him! He begged the Crane attorney, Davis, to help her, not realising that Davis had been instructed to make sure Theresa was found guilty. When the judge declared Theresa's fate, the two went on the run together.
When Theresa went into labor at the cabin where they took refuge, she refused to tell Ethan because she needs more time to convince him that he still loved her. Ethan would have remained clueless if Gwen had not shown up on the scene and finally forced Ethan to realize that Theresa was actually in labor. With Ethan and Gwen's help, Theresa gave birth to a baby boy, named Ethan Martin, just as the police burst in! They took Theresa back to the city, where they prepared to execute her. Ethan went to the governor's office, hoping that he could convince the governor to delay the execution in order for them to file an appeal, but Alistair had gotten there first.
Ethan watched the investigation with his lady love, Gwen Hotchkiss. She was there to comfort him throughout the entire event, but after Theresa's death, needed to know if Ethan wanted her, or the ghost of Theresa. Ethan assured her that it was her he wanted, and the two retired for an evening of love making. Both were shocked when Theresa turned up alive, all part of Alistair's plot. Theresa immediately made a play for Ethan, despite her marriage and his commitment to Gwen, and at first he bought into it, until he realized that Theresa was using the baby to manipulate him.
Ethan was soon torn between Theresa and Gwen. He was about to break up with Gwen and ask Theresa to marry him when they found out Gwen was pregnant. Although she planned to move to New York, after much thought and a talk with his father, Ethan realized his heart and his future lay with the mother of his child. He asked Gwen to marry him and began looking for a new job. Theresa made sure the only job he could get was at Crane Industries with her.
Theresa's marriage to Julian was announced to be invalid as Julian never said, "I do." Julian kicked Theresa out of the mansion and sued for custody of Little Ethan. Things were slightly resovled when Theresa found a loop hole allowing her to live on the Crane estate with her son. She left for Los Angeles on her mother's advice to get away and made fast friends with Fox Crane
Meanwhile, Ethan and Gwen finally decided to go to Los Angeles to see a specialist and to take a break from Theresa. Unfortunately, she was already out there. Ethan was initially able to resist her, until Theresa and Fox launched a full-out attack to get the objects of their affections. Ethan couldn't forget the innocent young girl he still believed Theresa to be, and was drawn to her again, even though he made it clear that he was not leaving his wife or child, and told Theresa it was over. Unfortunately, Gwen had seen the two kissing on television, and came to the apartment to talk to Ethan.
After a confrontation with Theresa, Gwen was rushed to the hospital, where Ethan was told he had to choose between her and the baby. Theresa encouraged him to let Gwen die and to save the baby, as it was the Christian thing to do. Unable to forget how willing Theresa was to end her own baby's life, Ethan called her a heartless monster, and after much deliberation, decided to save Gwen but the decision was taken out of his hands when the baby died. Although Theresa continued to try to manipulate her way close to him, Ethan told her he wanted nothing to do with her again, and promised Gwen that he would never let get in their way again.
When Theresa lost custody of Little Ethan, Gwen and Ethan decided to adopt him and rename him Ethan Winthrop, Jr. So when Ethan and Gwen decided to go the surrogate route to have a baby, Theresa had herself implanted with the eggs so she could blackmail Ethan and Gwen into giving her son back. When they learned she was expecting twins, Ethan and Gwen were initially thrilled, until Ethan began remembering a night he thought he was with Gwen, and soon realized he had been with Theresa and one of the babies she was carrying belonged to the two of them. Despite his conviction that Theresa had drugged and raped him, Theresa claimed that their sex that night was consensual, leaving Ethan uncertain as to what actually happened.
During the pregnancy, Theresa decided that not only did she want Little Ethan back, but she also wanted the babies she was carrying. She promised Gwen and Ethan they would have their baby, but secretly planned to keep both.
After one child had to be aborted to save the life of the other, Ethan prayed that the baby girl Theresa carried was his child with Gwen. Unfortunately, Theresa announced her intentions to keep the child, and Ethan was forced to admit to a disbelieving Gwen that Theresa had been with him and that what she said might really be true. The baby, named Jane, turned out to be Theresa's, leaving Gwen devastated and Ethan distressed. After attempting to kill Theresa, Gwen went on the run with the baby. When they finally caught up to them, Ethan shocked Theresa by telling her that he had the charges against Gwen dropped and, in return for Theresa not re-filing, Ethan would not take the baby from her. After learning that Theresa had the charges reinstated in a bid to break up his marriage with Gwen, Ethan was furious with her. He made good on his threats, and he began a custody battle with Theresa over Jane.
Gwen and Ethan won temporary custody, and before long, Theresa's visitation was limited as she continued to scheme to get close to her daughter. The custody arrangement seemingly became permanent as Gwen and Ethan attempted numerous times to leave the country with Jane but Theresa, who married Alistair to be near her children (Alistair adopted Little Ethan), blocked them at every turn, making it impossible for Ethan to get a job anywhere in her attempt to keep him close. Ethan confronted Theresa after finding proof that she had sabotaged his job prospects, only to be confronted with a proposition. If he would agree to let her become his mistress, she would leave him be. Ethan was tempted, as he still loved Theresa despite her faults, but didn't want to hurt Gwen. She continued to try to get him to work at Crane, but Ethan finally decided to be a stay-at-home dad to Jane after Gwen got a good job.
Theresa was so determined was she to get Ethan that she flew to Rome to locate the tabloid editor who had initially printed the story about Ethan's paternity. She found J.T. Cornell in Rome and convinced him to spill the beans, it was Gwen and Rebecca who sent him proof of Ethan's paternity. Ethan had headed to Rome to protect his sister, Jessica after she took off, and while there, Theresa found this to be the perfect oppotunity to tell Ethan the truth. Unfortunately, although J.T. claimed Gwen had sent the information, Ethan didn't believe him, thinking Theresa paid him off. But when Gwen showed up in Rome, he wanted answers from his wife as to why Theresa was so certain. Gwen eventually got out of it and she and Ethan returned to Harmony.
Soon after Theresa discovered that Ethan was Little Ethan's biological father, not Julian (told in Rome by J.T. Cornell also). Pilar tried to convince Theresa to tell Ethan, as he deserves to be a father to his child, but Theresa said no, believing that she would lose her son to Ethan and Gwen, so she pays J.T. to leave Harmony for good. In this time, Julian does want custody of Little Ethan, hiring Ethan to be his attorney. Theresa, of course, objects and is scared that Julian will seek full custody.
Currently, Theresa has given up on Ethan and moved on with a new man, Jared. Ethan, however is still drawn to his soulmate. Theresa finally decides to tell Ethan, so she finds J.T. Cornell before he leaves town, so that he can tell Ethan the whole truth, but Gwen wants for him to keep quiet. Gwen and Theresa fight over J.T. to do their bidding, for him to keep quiet and for him to tell Ethan the whole truth, respectively. J.T. finally says he'll tell the whole truth, but when he tells Ethan the "truth," he says that it was Phyllis, the maid for the Cranes that actually outted him as a Winthrop.
While Theresa and Julian discuss the trial for custody over Little Ethan, Theresa can't bear her child being with someone who is not his real father, so she breaks down and tells Ethan the truth about Little Ethan's paternity. In true Ethan Winthrop fashion, he starts to berate Theresa for keeping such a secret. She gets scared and is hurt by his reaction, so she immediately reneges her confession and says that she merely meant he is more like a father to Little Ethan than Julian ever could be. The custody battle continues.
