Valerie Spencer (Paulina Bugembe)

Cadet Valerie Spencer is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera, General Hospital. She is the daughter of the late, Pat Spencer and an unknown man. She is also a member of the Spencer family and the niece of legendary characters, Luke and Bobbie Spencer.

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

Casting
Head writer Ron Carlivati revealed to Soap Opera Digest that Sarpy initially auditioned for the role of Jordan Ashford (Vinessa Antoine) but she was too young for the role.

Sarpy made an impression the producers and she was later offered the role of Valerie. She is also on contract.

Her first appearance was on March 20, 2015.

Background
Pat and Valerie's father broke up before she was born, so for as long as Valerie could remember it was always her and her mom.

Storylines
On March 20, 2015, Tracy Quartermaine and Lulu Spencer-Falconeri are looking to find Pat Spencer, and instead find her daughter, Valerie. Lulu reveals that she the daughter of Pat's brother Luke and that they are cousins. Lulu and Tracy explain that Luke is in trouble and that Pat may be the only one who can help him out of it. However, Valerie claims her mother is dead and it is revealed that Valerie is being held hostage at gunpoint by Luke himself. It is later revealed that Valerie told Lulu and Tracy that her mom was dead because she is trying to keep Luke away from her. When Valerie doesn't change her story, Luke ties her up to keep her from escaping. Valerie eventually lets it slip that Pat is alive but she refuses to give up her location suspecting that Luke will kill her. Just as Luke is about to kill Valerie, she escapes and they struggle over his gun.

On March 27, Dante and Lulu arrive at Valerie's and find her unconscious on the floor. When she comes to she meets her cousin-in-law, Dante. She then tells them that Luke did this to her and that he was in the closet when Lulu and Tracy were there. Valerie also reveals that Pat is very much alive, but she has Multiple Sclerosis and is in a convalescent home. She then tells them that she had to tell Luke where her mother is or he would have killed her. Valerie is worried about her mother so she tries to get up to leave but is too weak. Dante and Lulu try to calm her down and get more information. Then Valerie passes out in Dante's arms. While Lulu searches for Oakhill Valerie regains consciousness only to pass out again. When she wakes up she finds out that Lulu went to Oakhill.

When Valerie finds out that her mother went after Luke with Bobbie and Tracy, she's not very happy. Valerie finds her mother in Port Charles but their reunion is cut short when Pat suddenly dies of heart failure, which devastates Valerie. Valerie is so upset that she tried kill Luke, who she blamed for her mother's death, with a scalpel but is stopped Dante and Lulu. She and Dante start to become closer and she cries on his shoulder a lot about losing her mother because they were both raised by single mothers and he gets it. She also starts developing a crush on him.

Months later, Valerie and Dante end up sleeping together when Dante thinks that Lulu is having an affair with Dillon but it turns out that Lulu was out rescuing her brothers. Once Dante found this out he swear Valerie to secrecy saying he wants to work things out with Lulu. Soon after Valerie starts dating Dillon. Eventually, Valerie admits to Nathan that she does have feelings for Dante.

The truth about the one night stand came out on November 2, 2015. Later in the month they sleep together again and enter into a relationship soon after. Dante and Valerie attempt to make their relationship public, but change their minds, and resign to seeing each other in private for now. Valerie later breaks up with Dante after finding out that he and Lulu become closer on Christmas.

Crimes Committed

 * Bit her uncle, Luke Spencer on the hand in self-defense [Mar 26, 2015]
 * Fought with Luke for a gun [Mar 26, 2015]
 * Went into Luke's hospital room with the intent of harming him [Apr 7, 2015]
 * Held a scalpel to Luke's throat and almost killed him [Apr 8, 2015]
 * Adultery; slept with Dante Falconeri while he was married to her cousin, Lulu [Jul 6, 2015]
 * Adultery; had an affair with Dante while he was married to her cousin, Lulu [Nov-Dec 2015]
 * Slapped Lulu and it turned into a cat fight in which she tried to strangle her [Jan 19, 2016]

Health and Vitals

 * Held hostage at gunpoint inside her own apartment by her uncle, Luke Spencer [Mar 20-26, 2015]
 * Tied to a chair all night with a piece of duct tape over her mouth and threatened by Luke [Mar 25, 2015]
 * Rendered unconscious by Luke (suffered a cut to her forehead as a result) [revealed Mar 27, 2015]
 * Passed out multiple times [Mar 30, 2015]
 * Suffered emotional anguish after the death of her mother (she tried to kill Luke) [Apr 7-8, 2015]
 * Attacked and abducted by Johnny Zacharra [Jan 14, 2015]
 * Held hostage by Johnny (she was tied to a chair in a cabin) [Jan 15-18, 2016]
 * Trapped in a flame-engulfed cabin [Jan 18, 2016]
 * Smoke inhalation [Jan 18, 2016]
 * Slapped and almost strangled by Lulu [Jan 19, 2016]