Profile of Ava Vitali

Portrayed by:

Tamara Braun (February 8, 2008 - August 4, 2008)

Previous Addresses:

• Vitali Compound in Brookville, just outside of Salem
  
• Salem Inn
  
• DiMera mansion

Past Occupation:

President of Transworld Corporation

Relatives:

• Martino Vitali (father, deceased)
  
• Name Unknown (mother, deceased)
  
• Angelo (cousin)
  
• Eddie (cousin)

Crimes Committed:

• Sabotaged John Black’s private jet which resulted in the death of two pilots and Grandpa Shawn Brady
  

• Chloroformed and abducted Hope Brady in the hospital parking lot, believing she was Kayla
  
• Shot Hope in the shoulder
  
• Drugged Steve
  
• Pointed a gun at Steve and Kayla
  
• Orchestrated Stephanie’s kidnapping
  
• Accessory to kidnapping
  
• Numerous unnamed others

Relationships:

• Steve “Patch” Johnson (lovers, almost wed)
  
• John Black (lovers)

Character Description:

Ava Vitali first appeared in Ireland when she was spotted outside the St. Abban Bed & Breakfast by Steve Johnson, who recognized this woman from his past. Steve, Kayla, and other passengers soon boarded John Black’s private jet in Ireland intending to head back to Salem. Steve saw the mystery woman again on the tarmac and chased after her. However, Ava disappeared.

After a crash landing and injuries due to the plane crash, Steve received a daunting note from Ava, who threatened to harm his and Kayla's unborn baby. Steve soon found Ava and confronted her, where she admitted to sabotaging the plane crash. However, she insisted that all she wanted to do was stop the plane from taking off.

It was her cousins who actually sabotaged the plane. Ava was a scorned, vengeful woman who vowed revenge on Steve for walking out on her years before.

Ava’s father kept her locked up in her room for years, but the conniving woman still managed to sneak out of her room with the help of her cousins. She spotted Steve and Hope embracing outside the Brady Pub soon after Grandpa Shawn Brady’s funeral and assumed that Hope was his wife Kayla. She confronted Hope and asked if she loved Steve. After she got her answer, she vowed to take Steve’s wife away from him.

Steve knew his ex was dangerous and was keeping the truth from Kayla, especially since she was having a high-risk pregnancy and any stress could potentially harm their unborn baby. Steve sought help from Abe, who retrieved a mile-long rap sheet on Ava. He told Abe the story about his past with the crazed woman and revealed that her family was into drugs, guns, and extortion, among other things. Steve also told Abe that he was involved with Ava five or six years ago during a time when he escaped from Stefano and he couldn’t remember who he was. Thus, he was involved with Ava around 2002 or 2003. Steve speculated that Ava’s mental problems may have had something to do with her powerful corrupt father, since he always had her on a short leash. He recalls how sweet Ava was before, although he left as soon as Ava pushed him for marriage. He admits that he knew in his gut there was somebody else he was supposed to be with. Steve eventually confessed the truth about Ava to Stephanie, Hope, and a hospitalized Bo.

Determined to have “Patch” all to herself and have Kayla out of the way, Ava spotted Hope in the hospital parking lot, chloroformed her, and abducted her. Hope played along and pretended to be Kayla in order to protect her sister-in-law from the demented woman. It was soon revealed that Ava had scars on her wrists from trying to kill herself before.

Ava soon called “Patch” and ordered him to meet her in an alley if he ever wanted to see “Kayla” again. After Hope told her about how Grandpa Shawn died, a remorseful Ava visited his grave and encountered Max there. After Max left, Ava cried how sorry she was. Steve complied to Ava’s demands and was soon reunited with Hope at the Vitali compound, where they kept up their charade as husband and wife.

Steve and Hope soon learned that Ava experienced migraines, although the doctors couldn’t figure out why. Ava blamed them all on Steve and vowed revenge on him for leaving her at the altar all those years ago. Meanwhile, Stephanie was forced to confess the truth to Kayla about Ava. When the real Kayla phoned Steve demanding to know what was going on, he smashed the phone so Ava wouldn’t find out who was calling. Ava even went so far as to threaten Stephanie’s life if he and “Kayla” tried to escape.

Bo was able to track down a former Vitali employee named Earl Lawson, who reluctantly told Bo and Kayla where the Vitali compound was. The two siblings broke into the Vitali compound and were reunited with their spouses. Ava went ballistic when she realized she had been duped by Hope and she met the “real” Kayla Johnson. When the foursome tried to escape, Ava grabbed Kayla’s gun and shot Hope in the shoulder.

Ava told her four prisoners the story of her wedding day to Patch, when they were at a small chapel in Nevada and she had never been more in love with her groom-to-be. Knowing in his heart that he couldn’t go through with it, Steve escaped out the side door, and two men grabbed him and took him away. Ava waited at the church and finally realized that he wasn’t coming back, so she ran out of the church and sobbed. The next thing she knew, she was in an ambulance being taken to the hospital. After her release, her father brought her home and locked her in her room, supposedly for her own good. Ava excoriated Steve for ruining her life and turning her into a person whom she despised.

Ava soon decided that she would keep Kayla’s baby as payback for the pain which Steve had caused her. Kayla managed to snatch Ava’s medication while held prisoner. Ava drugged Steve into bed with her. Steve agreed to have sex with her if she in turn agreed to let the other prisoners go. While they were getting amorous in her room, Kayla was forced into the room and was devastated by what she saw. Fortunately, Steve and Ava didn't have sex. Bo was able to knock out Ava’s goons and help the others escape. Roman and Abe soon arrived at the compound and arrested Ava.