Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil)

Character history
In 1992, 17 year-old Brenda moved to Port Charles to live with her sister Julia Barrett after she dropped out of boarding school. She lived with Jagger Cates for a while and became very good friends with Robin Scorpio. Brenda developed a rivalry with Karen Wexler due to Karen's relationship with Jagger. Brenda eventually moved into the Quartermaine mansion, where she was much beloved.

Sonny or Jax
Brenda and mobster Sonny Corinthos shared an instant attraction when they met in 1993. She helped Sonny after he was shot breaking Frank Smith out of jail. Brenda's friends told her Sonny was in the mob, but she didn't believe them. She wore a wire to prove otherwise. Lily Rivera told Sonny what Brenda was doing. He and Brenda had a very angry, emotional split, which devastated her. Although Sonny was angry at her, she was eventually able to convince him to leave his wife Lily for her. When Sonny tried to end his marriage, Lily told him she was pregnant. Brenda knew she had lost him.

Brenda moved on by marrying a widower, Jasper Jacks. However, the marriage proved to be invalid when Jax's previous wife, Miranda, turned out to be alive. Lily was killed in a car explosion, but Brenda remained with Jax. After she was kidnapped to draw Sonny into a trap, she and Sonny were trapped together in a cave. They expressed their feelings and made love, which Brenda later admitted to Jax. They ended their relationship because Brenda could not decide between he and Sonny.

Left at the altar; A Mysterious Death
When Brenda reunited with Sonny, Lily's father, Rivera, attempted to frame Brenda for the murder of Dr. Pierce Dorman. Rivera had been believed dead. Sonny eventually killed him in self defense, clearing Brenda of all charges.

Brenda was ecstatic when Sonny asked her to marry him and leave Port Charles and the mob behind. On their wedding day, Brenda walked down the aisle with no groom at the end. Sonny, believing he could not protect her, sent Jason Morgan to the church to tell Brenda that he had left without her. Brenda was deeply hurt and hated Jason for agreeing to do this for Sonny. She moved back in with the Quartermaines for a period and then lived with Jax as friends while he helped her deal with Sonny's betrayal. Brenda's mental state deteriorated, and she was institutionalized. She regained her strength and decided she wanted to be with Jax, not Sonny. She and Jax planned to marry, and upon Sonny's return, he realized she had moved on. When Brenda's mother, Veronica, showed up in Port Charles, Brenda was tested for a hereditary mental illness that Veronica had. Veronica drove Brenda and herself over a cliff, and they were presumed dead. After Brenda's "death," Jax burned the test results without reading them.

Back from the dead
Brenda returned to Port Charles in September 2002. She was staying with an arms dealer named Luis Alcazar who had rescued her from the water after her accident with Veronica. Alcazar told Brenda she had Veronica's mental condition and that he would care for her during the remainder of her life. Jealous of her past relationships, Alcazar planned the murders of Sonny and Jax. Brenda discovered Alcazar's murderous intentions and escaped from him. She had someone call Sonny to a meeting at St. Timothy's without telling him it was she who he was to meet there. Brenda stepped out of the church and into the rain, coming face to face with a shocked Sonny. She then watched in horror as Sonny was shot multiple times. Jason arrived to find Brenda crying next to Sonny, who ordered Jason to take her to safety. Brenda blamed herself for Sonny's "death" and tried to escape the house Jason took her to so she could warn Jax. When Jason left Sonny's accountant to watch her, Brenda escaped and went to Jax's wedding to Skye Quartermaine. Jax was shocked to see Brenda, who warned him about Alcazar's plan. Alcazar was able to find them and shoot Jax. Jax survived, and Sonny arrived and shot Alcazar. He explained to Brenda that he faked his death in order to get to Alcazar.

Jax was paralyzed, and Brenda decided to help him in his recovery while telling his new wife that she was dying and would not interfere with their marriage. However, Jax and Brenda grew closer, and Skye discovered that Brenda did not have her mother's fatal mental illness. Brenda became worried about her closeness with Jax and blackmailed Jason into marrying her. Jason agreed only to prevent Brenda from reuniting with Sonny, who was married to Carly. Alcazar, who also survived his bullet wound, convinced Skye to help him kidnap Brenda. He took Brenda away on a plane with Sonny hidden onboard. The plane crashed, and they all survived but were stranded in the jungle. Jason and Carly rescued Sonny and Brenda, and Jax discovered Alcazar's lie. Jax left Skye because she kept the truth about Brenda's illness, and he soon found Brenda to tell her she was not dying and profess his love for her.

An inconvenient marriage
When Alcazar was murdered, an angry Skye lied that Brenda killed him. Jason and Brenda were arrested, and although Jax attempted to take the fall, charges against him were dropped. Although Brenda and Jason constantly bickered and fought, they decided not to get an annulment so that they would not be forced to testify against each other during the murder trial. Jax wanted Brenda to flee, but she refused to let Jason face the charges alone. When seemingly damning evidence surfaced against Brenda, she pleaded with Jason to leave the country with her, but they ultimately decided to stay. New evidence kept Brenda and Jason from being convicted and sent to jail.

Brenda and Jason left the country to have their marriage annulled. However, Brenda convinced Jason to get the annulment back in Port Charles where it would take longer because she was not ready to marry Jax. When she felt she was ready, Brenda and Jason, with a new understanding of each other, had their marriage annulled.

Leaving Port Charles
Brenda ran into Sonny on the docks the night before her wedding to Jax. She forgave him for leaving her at the altar years before and told him she understood why before they shared a steamy goodbye kiss. Sonny's wife Carly witnessed the kiss. At the altar with Jax the next day, he responded "I don't" when prompted by the priest to say "I do." Brenda was confused, but Jax explained that he knew about her kiss and that he did not trust her not to cheat on him with Sonny. Brenda ran into Sonny after Jax left her and told him of her breakup. He revealed that Carly had also left him.

Upon returning to his penthouse, Jason found a crying Brenda with all her things packed. She decided to leave Port Charles, and Jason took her to the airport. Before Jason left her there, Brenda told him that he deserved to be happy more than anyone she knew. While waiting alone for her flight, Brenda reminisced with a smile about her time with Sonny and Jax.

In late 2007, after a nasty fight with Carly, Jax disappeared to Europe. Carly did some snooping and discovered that Jax had flown to Rome to see Brenda.

Night Shift mystery

On the General Hospital spin-off   Night Shift, one storyline surrounds a woman visiting from  Europe  – Brenda lives in  Italy. The dark-haired woman has an accident at her hotel and then suffers from severe burns when the ambulance she’s in explodes. When the patient’s heart stops, she is sent to the hospital morgue but she regains consciousness. The woman's face remains bandaged and she is on bed rest until the season finale. In the final episode, the woman flirts with Damian Spinelli  without showing her face. Later, she watches as Jason and Robin share an embrace. The unknown woman leaves, revealing a tattoo similar to the one Brenda has on her lower back. Although the name "Barrett" was shown, the woman is never explicitly stated to be Brenda.

Brenda Returns and Reunites with Sonny

On August 11, 2010, Brenda appears on-screen in Italy  now a world famous supermodel and the face of the Alliance to Save Exploited Children. She is at a press conference and just before she steps on stage, a man tries to kill her. Brenda's body guards stop him before he reaches her and Brenda finally faces the crowd, with tears in her eyes. Brenda is shocked to see Sonny in Italy who reveals that he is running from the police. After reminiscing about their tumultuous relationship, she persuades him to return home. When Brenda's security seems to be failing, her friend Suzanne contacts her ex-husband, Jason. Jason comes to Rome  and steps in as her bodyguard though they constantly bicker and emphasize their dislike for one another. When Jason finally decides to go back to Port Charles, the Balkan's thugs get a hold of Brenda and inject her with heroin. Jason returns just in time to save Brenda and he ultimately decides that it would be safer for her in Port Charles. Jason and Brenda arrive in town on September 30, 2010 where she meets Spinelli, who is like a brother to Jason. Spinelli gives her the nickname "The Divine One." On October 8, 2010, Brenda visits Jax's and they talk about how things are doing for them. When Brenda goes to Sonny's house, she run into Dante, who asks her what she is doing there. Sonny then comes in and introdues Brenda and Dante, but cleary they seem to know one another already.

Through flashbacks  and her discussions with Dante and Jason, the audience learns that Brenda was once involved with the Balkan's son, Aleksander. Once she learned that he was involved with exploiting children, she broke up with him and traveled to Manhattan. Dante, along with three other officers, was hired to guard Brenda. One time, while she and Dante were out on a walk, Aleksander tries to attack Brenda. While Dante and Aleksander fight, Brenda picks up the gun Dante dropped and shoots him. Once she realizes she killed him, she panics and Dante tells her that no one will find out. He then dumps the body. It is also revealed that the secret involves a baby, but details are not made clear.

On December 22, 2010, during Luke Spencer  and  Tracy Quartermaine 's wedding reception, Sonny proposes to Brenda, and after some convincing, she accepts. Meanwhile, Spinelli reveals to Carly that Brenda and Dante had a child together. Tracy throws the bouquet and Brenda catches it. She and Sonny then announce their engagement to the wedding guests. She returns to Jason's penthouse and Theo Hoffman stops by, informing her that he is her new defence attorney, when he is really the Balkan. He questions her but she leaves to go on a walk. She runs into Dante and tells him that she is considering telling Sonny about the baby, but he says that if the truth won't do any good, then she shouldn't tell him.