Beyond the Gates ‘ delightfully complicated villainess, Leslie Thomas ( Trisha Mann-Grant ), faces a reversal of fortune when she discovers that her birth mother is none other than Barbara Mitchell, the long-lost fourth member of the singing group, The Articulettes.

Mann-Grant learned about the twist in the spring and was excited for what it would mean for her character. “I said, ‘Oh, wow. That’s good. Here’s something new and fresh and different that we can focus on, and the depth of the storyline is about to blow everyone away,’” she recalls.

The story of Leslie’s past is a complicated one. Barbara, who was booted from the group and ultimately died by suicide — leaving fellow Articulette Anita Dupree ( Tamara Tunie ) with a lifetime of guilt — entrusted her baby to her loyal pal,

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