Hayden Barnes (Rebecca Budig)

Hayden Barnes is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera, General Hospital.

She has been portrayed by Rebecca Budig since the character's debut on March 20, 2015.

Casting
Daytime Emmy nominated actress and  alumni Rebecca Budig debuted on General Hospital in the role of Hayden Barnes on March 20, 2015 as the woman pretending to be the wife of Jake Doe (Billy Miller).

Budig's casting was announced on Twitter by executive producer Frank Valentini and head writer Ron Carlivati on February 10, 2015. "I've always loved GH and I love Frank, so it’s really exciting to get to go over there and play" Budig said to Soap Opera Digest. Carlivati described the character as "a real spitfire" and Valentini said it was "Killer role."

In an interview with Michael Logan for TV Insider, the character was officially revealed to be Hayden Barnes. Budig described the character as "ballsy and very direct" similar to her former All My Children character,. "However", Budig continued, "this one is much more out there than Greenlee." Budig admitted that she herself was surprised by some of Hayden's actions. The actress anticipated fan backlash, considering the trouble she is sure to stir up for the popular heroine Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) in her romance with Jake. Logan described Hayden as a "maneater."

Rebecca departed from the show after her character went into to a coma, but she could come back at anytime. Rebecca will return sometime during the week of August 3 and she is on contract. She returned on August 3, 2015.

Storylines
On March 20, 2015, Hayden arrives at Elizabeth Webber's doorstep, asking for her husband Jake. Hayden reveals to Elizabeth and Jake that the news of Jake's attempted bombing of the The Haunted Star reached Beechers Corners, where Hayden lives. Hayden read that Jake was in a terrific car accident and suffered severe brain injury and "knew it was her husband". Hayden told Jake and Elizabeth that she thought Jake had left her after a terrible fight while camping, leading to the police not taking her seriously when she reported him missing. After leaving Elizabeth's house, it is revealed that Hayden is working for Ric Lansing to break up Elizabeth and Jake, since Ric wanted Elizabeth all for himself. Following her divorce, Hayden was left broke and needed money.

After showing proof of their marriage, Jake moved into Hayden's Metro Court hotel room, although they planned to stay in Port Charles because of Jake's job. During this time, Hayden meets and starts sleeping with Nikolas Cassadine, who knows that she isn't Jake's wife because he knows that Jake is really Jason. Hayden figures out that Nikolas knows who Jake is and uses it to her advantage.

During the Nurses' Ball, Ric and Hayden are exposed and she is kicked out of the Metro Court. Hayden goes to Nikolas and starts blackmailing him (and Elizabeth) with the info that Jake is Jason. Nikolas tells her to go tell Jason the truth to get her off his back. Hayden goes to the Extreme Motors where Jake/Jason works and finds him and Sam there but before she can say anything she is shot in the head presumably by Shawn Butler, who was sent by Sonny Corinthos to kill Jake. While Sam attends to her, Hayden tells Sam that she isn't the only one who knows who Jake is. It is later revealed that Nikolas sent a hit man as well and it was him who shot Hayden. When she gets to the hospital she tries to tell Jake who he is but has a seizure but she can. Patrick operates but she is left in a coma.

On July 31, Patrick reveals to Jake and Sam that Hayden is waking up from her coma. Hayden wakes up but doesn't remember anything. When Nikolas finds out he moves her into Wyndemere to make sure that she never remembers anything about Jake being Jason. Despite Nikolas' best efforts Hayden is starting to remember. Later Sam and Jake still pester her about what she knows but she claims to not know anything and Nikolas puts a stop to that whenever they ask. Elizabeth also want to know if Hayden remembers that she knows that Jake is Jason since she does not want to lose Jason and pester her too about it which Nikolas replies that he has it under control.

After living with Nikolas a while he starts developing feeling for her and gets her a Job at ELQ and in late October she asks Nikolas if she can be his plus one to Elizabeth and Jake's wedding he reluctantly says ok. On November 5, she goes to the church with Nikolas and finds Elizabeth who is not happy that she is at her wedding and tells her that she does not want her at her wedding and Hayden replies that she would not miss this wedding for anything.

On November 6, at Elizabeth's wedding she tells Elizabeth that she happy to be at her wedding and happy to be around people and cryptically tells Elizabeth it will be all over soon when discussing the wedding with her. She also tells Patrick that her memory is starting to return. On November 9 she is seen sitting with Nikolas at the wedding during the Jake is Jason reveal with a smug look on her face. Then she asked Nikolas if he knew about Jake being Jason. Later Hayden tries to stop Jason the strangling Nikolas. Back at Spoon Island Hayden reveals to Nikolas that she knows that he and Elizabeth knew the Jake Doe was Jason. Nikolas then confronts her saying that you knew this whole time to which Hayden replies that things were a little fuzzy until she moved in with Nikolas. Then later goes on to say tell Nikolas that he only wanted her there to make sure that she really didn't remember that Jake Doe was Jason. Then she decided to show her self in a more favorable light and developed feeling for Nikolas.

On November 13 Elizabeth finds out the Hayden remember that Jake was Jason and her Elizabeth get in a fight but Laura stops it. Then Elizabeth tells Hayden the Jason loves her and his old life means nothing and Hayden says that not how Sam feels. Laura jumps in by saying that she does not know how Sam feels. Later that day we find out the Hayden is working for Tracy Quartermaine.

On November 16  Hayden tells Tracy that she needs time to get ELQ back and that she needs to back off. Then Tracy tells Hayden that she is working for her and that ELQ was stolen from her. After Hayden told Tracy not to worry about what she is doing. Later Hayden and Tracy hear Emma screaming for help when a woman in the park tries to kidnap her. Hayden then walks in on Jason telling Nikolas that he going to take everything thing from him since Nikolas took everything from him leaving Hayden with a shocked face. Hayden get into there argument and tells Jason that Nikolas did nothing wrong and if he is planning on taking everything from Nikolas it involves her since she is living at his house.

On November 19 Hayden goes to see Shawn in prison. While there Shawn tells Hayden that he did not shoot her and she says she knows.

Crimes Committed

 * Withheld the information that Jake Doe was actually Jason Morgan [Feb 1-Nov 6, 2015; revealed May 2015]
 * Fraud; pretended to be Jake Doe's wife under the orders of Ric Lansing, who was paying her to do it [Mar 20-May 1, 2015; revealed Mar 24, 2015]

Health and Vitals

 * Manhandled by Nikolas Cassadine [Apr 30, 2015]
 * In the line of fire when Shawn Butler was sent to kill Jason (aka Jake) [May 18, 2015]
 * Shot in the head by a hit man under the orders of Nikolas Cassadine [May 18, 2015]
 * Suffered a seizure [revealed May 19, 2015]
 * Went into surgery to remove the bullet from her head and the surgery was successful but she was left comatose [May 19, 2015; revealed May 20, 2015]
 * Was in a coma [May 19-Jul 31, 2015]