Fans of Beyond the Gates have had plenty to talk about recently, with fiery opinions flooding social media over one character in particular. But while some viewers vented their frustrations in hilarious fashion, what followed turned into something far more heartwarming than anyone expected.
The Viral ‘Beyond the Gates’ TikTok Clip
On August 25, TikTok user Melissa Bethea shared a video of her mother, Barbara, passionately talking about the soap with her sister. Barbara said that if Leslie’s actions, like running Laura off the road, were ever looked into, it would mean prison time. When Melissa asked what she was arguing about, Barbara snapped that Beyond the Gates was driving her crazy and she wanted Leslie to stop.
Melissa then asked who “her” was. Barbara answered straight away that it was Leslie, adding that she hated the character. She joked that she’d love to meet the actress, because she must be very talented to make people dislike Leslie so much. The clip quickly went viral, drawing more than 250,000 views on TikTok. The video soon reached Trisha Mann-Grant, who plays Leslie. She jumped into the comments, joking that Barbara had come down hard on her character.
Star Gives A FaceTime Surprise
On September 3, Melissa decided to take things a step further. She filmed another video where she told her mother that someone wanted to speak with her. Barbara hesitated, saying she didn’t talk to just anyone. But when Melissa flipped the phone around and revealed Trisha Mann-Grant on FaceTime, Barbara screamed in shock.
Mann-Grant teased that she had seen Barbara talking about her and wanted to know what the issue was with Leslie. Barbara admitted she couldn’t stand the character and even joked she wanted to reach through the TV and choke her. She quickly added that she admired the actress, calling her gorgeous and saying she was a true fan despite all the tough words. Melissa thanked both Mann-Grant and performer Jawan Jackson, who helped make the FaceTime call happen.
Melissa and Barbara already have a following thanks to their “We Bereaved” videos, where Melissa tells her mother about celebrity deaths and captures her funny reactions. But this soap-inspired twist may be their most talked-about clip yet. It’s surprising just how deeply fans connect to her performance, even when they dislike the character she plays. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more news, previews, and updates from Beyond the Gates and all your favourite soaps.