Creator Michele Val Jean says there's no limit to how far Leslie will go to torment Anita Dupree. Beyond the Gates boss breaks down major Leslie reveal and teas

Creator Michele Val Jean says there's no limit to how far Leslie will go to torment Anita Dupree.

*Beyond the Gates boss *breaks down major Leslie reveal and teases 'dangerous' aftermath

Creator Michele Val Jean says there's no limit to how far Leslie will go to torment Anita Dupree.

By Kristen Baldwin

Kristen Baldwin

Kristen Baldwin is the TV critic for EW

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Published on August 22, 2025 05:00PM EDT

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Clifton Davis, Trisha Mann-Grant, and Tamara Tunie on 'Beyond the Gates'. Credit:

**This article contains spoilers for *Beyond the Gates *season 1, episodes 14-18. **

It was the slap heard 'round the world — at least, the world of Fairmont Crest.

This week on *Beyond the Gates*, another family secret decades in the making was revealed — and this time, it upended the life of beloved Dupree matriarch Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie).

The situation is a little complicated, so buckle up: Anita, the former lead singer for the world-famous Articulettes girl group, was still riding high after their successful reunion concert — which also helped heal her strained relationships with the other two Articulettes, Sharon Winger (Bonita Bringer) and Tracy Tyler (Maria Howell). During the concert, the Articulettes offered a moving tribute to their late best friend — and the woman who founded the group — Barbara Mitchell, who died by suicide after she was kicked out of the Articulettes by their scheming manager, Dante Green.

Enter Dana "Leslie" Thomas (Tricia Mann-Grant). Soon after the concert, Leslie — who is persona non grata in town after revealing that Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson), husband of Anita's eldest daughter, Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix), fathered a love child with her years ago — got some very interesting Articulettes-related news. Leslie, who was raised by a woman named Peaches (Arle Michele) after her mother gave her up for adoption, learned that she is the daughter of "lost Articulette" Barbara Mitchell. And now for the *really* big news: As Barbara's sole heir, Leslie will inherit a massive trust set up for Barbara's family — by none other than Anita Dupree herself!

Naturally, Leslie couldn't wait to march right over to tell Anita this earth-shaking news. It... did not go well.

Anita slaps Leslie on 'Beyond the Gates'.

"I just love when something explodes and there's all the fallout from it," *Beyond the Gates* creator and executive producer Michele Val Jean tells **. Taking a break from filming the soap's 200th episode, Val Jean says she's had the Leslie/Barbara reveal planned since before the show premiered — and she was thrilled to deliver the inevitable Leslie/Anita showdown to fans this week.

"Anita's reaction and that amazing slap she gave — that had to hurt!" she says with a laugh. "One of the things that we in the writers' room were really careful about is that Anita — she's the grand dame, right? She may be from the projects of Chicago but she's cleaned up really well over the years. So, we really wanted that slap to be motivated. That's why Leslie kept coming at her and at her," she explains. "I would have slapped her, too."

That confrontation was only the beginning. Flush with her newfound millions, Leslie — who has struggled financially her whole life — immediately set about buying a mansion inside the elite Fairmont Crest neighborhood. And yes, it's *directly across* from the sprawling home Anita shares with her husband, Vernon (Clifton Davis). She also promptly joined the exclusive Fairmont Crest country club, and otherwise made her intentions known that she's going to be all up in the Duprees' lives from now on.

Tamara Tunie on 'Beyond the Gates'.

"Leslie's in a totally different position now, and that's probably going to be a dangerous thing," says Val Jean. "Before she kind of stewed in her own juices about the life she should have had if she and Ted had stayed together, and watching the Duprees from afar. Now, that might change because she's moving up."

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The only hope that the Duprees have is that Eva (Ambyr Michelle) — Leslie and Ted's level-headed daughter — will be able to convince her mother that revenge isn't the answer. This will "probably cause a few bumps in the road" in the already rocky relationship between Eva and Leslie, says Val Jean. She admits it's unlikely that Eva will be able to keep her mother's worst instincts under control. "Leslie is not a reasonable woman," Val Jean continues. "She's pretty looney tunes, and she reacts off her emotions — and her emotions are rarely logical."**

***Sign up for **'s free daily newsletter* *to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.***

Karla Mosley, Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis, and Arielle Prepetit on 'Beyond the Gates'.

Quantrell Colbert/CBS

Somehow, this bombshell about Leslie Thomas wasn't even the worst thing to happen to the Duprees this week. At the end of Friday's episode, Dupree grandchild Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla) — a world-famous model and up-and-coming fashion designer — was kidnapped from her home by a mysterious intruder. Later, she's shown asleep in what looks to be a normal bedroom... except she's chained to the bed by her ankle. It's the night of the big launch event for the purse line she's starting with her cousin Kat (Colby Muhammad) — and when she doesn't show up for pre-party drinks at Vernon and Anita's house, the family begins to panic.

Though Val Jean isn't about to reveal who kidnapped Chelsea, she assures viewers that we'll find out "right away" on Monday's episode. "It's a little scary," she says of the kidnapping arc. "Chelsea's definitely in danger, let's put it that way."

*Beyond the Gates* airs Monday to Friday on CBS.

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