FROM DISTURBING SA STORYLINES TO BRUTAL CONFESSIONS & BEYOND, THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF SCANDAL IN OCTOBER
TL;DR: October 2025 pushed soap opera boundaries in disturbing ways. From a rape storyline that has fans boycotting to mansion scams and brutal confessions, we’re ranking the five most controversial moments. Warning: #1 involves sexual assault and has sparked serious backlash against The Bold and the Beautiful.
Why October 2025 Was the MOST Controversial Month in Soap History
October 2025 wasn’t just dramatic for soap operas—it was downright controversial. Multiple shows pushed boundaries, sparked outrage, and left fans questioning whether daytime television went too far. Some storylines were shocking in a good way. Others? They crossed lines that shouldn’t have been crossed.
We’ve ranked the five most controversial soap opera moments from October 2025 based on fan reaction, social media outrage, and the sheer “WHAT WERE THE WRITERS THINKING?” factor. These aren’t feel-good storylines. They’re the ones that had viewers angry, uncomfortable, and demanding better from their favorite shows.
Buckle up. This ranking gets dark.
#5: Hayley’s Triple Threat—Microdosing, Con Artist, AND Murder Plots (Beyond the Gates)
Coming in at #5 is Beyond the Gates‘ resident villain Hayley, who revealed herself to be not just one kind of criminal, but THREE kinds of criminal. Throughout October, we learned that Hayley has been:
And somehow, fans are loving every twisted minute of it.
Why This Made the List
The controversy here isn’t that fans hate Hayley. It’s that they DON’T. Viewers are obsessed with this character despite her being objectively terrible. The show is doing something interesting by creating a villain who’s entertaining rather than frustrating, but it raises questions about whether we should be “rooting for” someone who’s literally poisoning people.
The microdosing storyline in particular hits differently in 2025, when real-world concerns about drugging are at an all-time high. Is it responsible for a soap opera to treat this as campy fun? Fans are divided.
The Verdict
This one’s controversial because it’s WORKING. Hayley is a ratings winner, but at what cost? Beyond the Gates is walking a fine line between “deliciously evil villain” and “glamorizing dangerous criminal behavior.” So far, they’re on the right side of that line, but it’s close.
#4: Xander Calls Sarah Pure Evil After Beating Philip (Days of Our Lives)
At #4, we have the explosive end of Xander Cook’s (Paul Telfer) and Sarah Horton’s (Linsey Godfrey) relationship on Days of Our Lives. After Xander brutally beat up Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier), Sarah confronted him about his violence. His confession? He admitted to the assault.
Sarah’s response? She called him “pure evil.”
Those two words ended their relationship and left Xander devastated. By the end of October, he was telling Philip he was his only friend left in Salem.
Why This Made the List
The “pure evil” line is what makes this controversial. Xander has done terrible things over the years, absolutely. But he’s also worked hard at redemption, been a devoted father, and tried to become a better man. For Sarah to reduce him to “pure evil” felt brutal and unforgiving. Especially since SO many characters in Salem have done equally bad or worse things and been forgiven.
Fans are split. Some think Sarah was right to draw a hard line. Others think the show is throwing away years of character development and one of their best couples for cheap drama.
The Verdict
This breakup hurts because it feels permanent in a way soap breakups rarely do. “Pure evil” isn’t something you come back from easily. Xander fans are devastated. Sarah fans are frustrated. And everyone’s wondering if Days just destroyed one of their most popular couples for shock value.
#3: Remy the Stalker FINALLY Revealed—And He’s Been Creating Deep Fakes (Bold and the Beautiful)
The #3 spot goes to the long-awaited reveal that Remy Pryce (Christian Weissmann) has been stalking Electra Forrester (Laneya Grace) on The Bold and the Beautiful. Throughout October, the truth slowly came out: Remy has been obsessed with Electra, created deepfake images of her to fulfill his “sordid fantasies,” and has been manipulating situations to stay close to her.
His brother Deke Sharpe (Gabriel Chestnut) started piecing it together when Remy made increasingly suspicious requests about keeping their connection quiet around Forrester Creations.
Why This Made the List
Stalker storylines are nothing new for soap operas, but the deepfake element makes this feel disturbingly current. In 2025, deepfake technology is a real threat, especially to women. The show is tackling a genuinely scary modern issue—but some fans worry it’s being treated too lightly or sensationalized.
There’s also the question of whether Bold and the Beautiful needed ANOTHER stalker storyline. Sheila’s stalking has dominated the show for years. Did we need a second stalker plot running simultaneously?
The Verdict
The Remy reveal is controversial because it’s both timely and tired. Deep fake stalking is a real, modern horror. But “man stalks woman on soap opera” is a tale as old as time. B&B is trying to update a classic soap trope for 2025, but fans are questioning whether they’re doing it responsibly or just exploiting a scary trend for ratings.
#2: Tracy vs. Ronnie—The Mansion Scam, Martin’s Revenge, and “Frigid, Uptight, and Undersexed” (General Hospital)
At #2, we have the explosive General Hospital storyline that dominated October: Tracy Quartermaine’s (Jane Elliot) battle with Ronnie Bard (Erika Slezak) over the Quartermaine mansion. Here’s what went down:
Monica Quartermaine’s (Leslie Charleson) will left the mansion to her “long-lost sister” Ronnie, while Tracy only got a jar of relish. Tracy immediately suspected something was wrong. She was RIGHT—Martin Grey (Michael E. Knight) had doctored the will as revenge against Tracy and recruited Ronnie to help with the scam.
The controversy peaked at a tea party when Ronnie got drunk (or drugged?), accused Tracy of spiking her drink, and then kicked Tracy out of her own family home. But before Tracy left, Ronnie delivered this nuclear insult: she called Tracy “frigid, uptight, and undersexed.”
Why This Made the List
This storyline is controversial for multiple reasons:
The Ageism Factor: Tracy Quartermaine is a legendary character who’s been on GH for decades. To have a brand-new character publicly humiliate her with insults about her sexuality felt disrespectful—not just to Tracy, but to the actress Jane Elliot and to older women in general.
The Scam Itself: Doctoring a beloved character’s will to steal her family home is DARK, even for soap standards. Monica just died. The Quartermaines are grieving. And Martin used that grief to execute a revenge plot that hurt an entire family.
The Drugging Accusation: Whether Tracy actually drugged Ronnie or Ronnie faked being drugged is still unclear, but either way, it’s a serious accusation that the show hasn’t fully addressed.
The “Frigid, Uptight, and Undersexed” Line: This is the moment that had fans SCREAMING. Some loved it as a deliciously soapy insult. Others found it cruel, sexist, and inappropriate—especially directed at a woman in her 70s.
The Power of Two Soap Legends
Adding fuel to the fire: both actresses are daytime royalty. Erika Slezak won six Daytime Emmys for playing Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. Jane Elliot has played Tracy for decades and is a fan favorite. Watching two legends face off was incredible television—but some fans feel like the show pitted them against each other unnecessarily.
The Resolution
By the end of October, Tracy found Monica’s real will, proving she was right all along. Ronnie and Martin’s scam was exposed. But the damage was done—Tracy had been publicly humiliated, kicked out of her home, and called “frigid, uptight, and undersexed” in front of her entire family.
The Verdict
This storyline is #2 because it sparked MASSIVE debate. Was it brilliant soap drama or disrespectful to a legendary character? Was Ronnie’s insult a iconic villain moment or a sexist attack on an older woman? Should Martin face serious consequences or is this just typical soap revenge? Fans are STILL arguing about it.
#1: Luna’s Rape Pregnancy—The Storyline That Has Fans BOYCOTTING Bold and the Beautiful
And now we reach #1—the most controversial, disturbing, and rage-inducing storyline of October 2025.
Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada) drugged Will Spencer (Crew Morrow), raped him while he was too intoxicated to consent, got pregnant from the assault, and then tried to use the pregnancy as leverage to stay out of prison.
This is not an exaggeration. This is what actually happened on The Bold and the Beautiful.
What Luna Did
Let’s be crystal clear about the timeline:
This is rape. Full stop. Will could not consent. He didn’t know who he was having sex with. He was intentionally intoxicated beyond the point of being able to make decisions.
Why This Is #1 and Why Fans Are FURIOUS
The Show Won’t Call It Rape: This is the biggest problem. Bold and the Beautiful has characters acknowledge that Luna is a “sexual predator” and that what she did was wrong—but they WILL NOT use the word “rape.” Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) came close in her confrontation with Luna, but the show keeps dancing around the actual word.
Why does this matter? Because refusing to name what happened minimizes the assault. It suggests that male victims of rape don’t “count” the same way. It perpetuates the harmful idea that men can’t be raped or that it’s not as serious when they are.
Sheila Laughing About It: Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown) KNEW that Luna had drugged and assaulted Will. And she CELEBRATED it. She cackled with glee about Luna’s “special night.” This scene was so disturbing that fans are still talking about it weeks later.
Luna Has No Remorse: Throughout October, Luna has shown ZERO guilt or remorse. She genuinely believes she’s done nothing wrong. She sees the pregnancy as a “blessing” and her ticket to the Spencer fortune. The show is portraying her as delusional rather than acknowledging the horror of what she did.
The Pregnancy as Leverage: Luna literally told people she was pregnant with a “Spencer heir” as a way to avoid going back to prison. She’s using a rape pregnancy as a bargaining chip. The show is treating this like a soap opera plot twist rather than the deeply disturbing reality it represents.
The Custody Battle: By the end of October, Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) and Katie Logan (Heather Tom) were discussing custody arrangements for the baby. The fact that anyone is discussing Luna potentially co-parenting with her rape victim is INSANE.
The Paternity Test Drama
Mid-October brought the paternity test results, which confirmed Will is the father. The scene where Bill broke down and apologized to Will for not being able to protect him was heartbreaking—but it was followed immediately by everyone discussing how to “handle” Luna’s pregnancy, as if that’s the main concern rather than the fact that Will was assaulted.
Will’s Girlfriend Gets Punished
Adding insult to injury, Will’s girlfriend Electra Forrester (Laneya Grace) is being portrayed as the one who has to “deal with” this situation. She’s the one comforting Will. She’s the one whose relationship is being tested. The show is framing this as an obstacle in their romance rather than as a crime that was committed against Will.
Why Fans Are Threatening to Stop Watching
This storyline has crossed every line. Fans are FURIOUS for multiple reasons:
Male Rape Is Not Being Taken Seriously: By refusing to use the word “rape” and by treating this as a soap plot rather than a crime, B&B is perpetuating harmful stereotypes about male victims.
The Show Is Glamorizing Sexual Assault: Luna has faced minimal consequences. Sheila thought it was funny. The Spencers are more concerned about custody than justice. The message being sent is that sexual assault is just another soap opera complication, not a serious crime.
There’s Been No Trauma Portrayal: Will has not been shown dealing with the psychological trauma of being assaulted. The show has not addressed his feelings of violation, betrayal, or powerlessness. Instead, his main emotion seems to be worry about his relationship with Electra.
It’s Exploitative: Many fans feel like B&B is using rape as a shocking plot twist to generate buzz rather than treating it as the serious subject it deserves.
The Social Media Backlash
Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit have been on FIRE about this storyline. Fans are:
What Should Have Happened
Here’s what responsible storytelling would look like:
The Verdict
This is the #1 most controversial storyline of October 2025—and possibly the most controversial storyline of the YEAR—because it’s actively harmful. The Bold and the Beautiful had an opportunity to tell an important story about male victims of sexual assault being taken seriously. Instead, they’re using rape as a plot device to create baby drama.
Fans have every right to be furious. This storyline is irresponsible, exploitative, and sends dangerous messages about consent and sexual assault. Until B&B course-corrects and treats this storyline with the gravity it deserves, viewers are right to call it out and demand better.
Honorable Mentions
October was so controversial that we couldn’t fit everything. Here are some moments that almost made the top 5:
What Do YOU Think?
This was a ROUGH list to write. Some of these storylines are genuinely disturbing, and #1 in particular has sparked legitimate outrage.
Do you agree with this ranking? Is the Luna rape storyline as disturbing to you as it is to us? Should Bold and the Beautiful face consequences for how they’re handling this? What would YOU rank as the most controversial moment?
Drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s have a real conversation about when soap operas cross the line from “shocking drama” to “irresponsible storytelling.”
