Josette DuPres Collins as portrayed by Kathryn Leigh Scott.
Josette la Frenière Collins (1810 - 1834) was the bride of Jeremiah Collins. He brought her to Collinsport from Paris, France and built Collinwood for her in 1830 (5, 45, 52).
Josette was never happy because she was different and the residents of Collinsport, as well as the rest of the Collins family hated her. Eventually, she jumped to her death at Widows' Hill (5). She was the first of three people to die off the cliff (9). Rumors develop that she was drawn there by unnatural forces (53).
It was said that her ghost continued to wander the hill and the mansion for generations after her death, sobbing out of loneliness (5, 38). A portrait hung in the Old House at Collinwood (70).
Although her history was established in the pre-Barnabas Collins era episodes, Josette's past would be altered and expanded just as Barnabas' story was. During the 1795 flashback, it is confirmed that Josette actually came to Collinsport, not from Paris, but from Martinique (368/369) to marry Barnabas and not his uncle, Jeremiah. She traveled with her aunt, Countess Natalie DuPres and her maid, Angelique, actually a witch who was also in love with Barnabas, schemed to destroy the couple's romance (370). Josette's father, Andre DuPres later arrived. Angelique placed a spell on Josette and Jeremiah, causing them to fall in love with each other (373-375) and eventually marry (383). Later, she showed Josette a vision of herself as a vampire, terrifying the woman into jumping to her death from Widows' Hill (425).
When Barnabas traveled to 1797, he met Rachel Drummond, and later Lady Kitty Hampshire, both of whom were reincarnations of Josette. Rachel was murdered (776), and Lady Kitty morphed into Josette's portrait. Josette's suicide from Widows' Hill was prevented in this time line, and Barnabas told Josette to wait for him in her room at the Old House so that they could return to 1897 together. Barnabas was intercepted by the Leviathans and prevented from returning for Josette. Angelique convinced the girl that Barnabas had left without her, and she took poison, killing herself again (886).
The Leviathans told Barnabas that they were holding Josette prisoner in the past, but this was revealed to be a lie. Josette's ghost appeared to Barnabas in 1970, telling him to forget her and move on with his life (948).
Background information and notes
- Josette was the first character to be played by an actor from the series who was already playing someone else. Kathryn Leigh Scott played both Maggie Evans and the ghost of Josette in the pre-Barnabas episodes. Since Barnabas attempted to turn Maggie into Josette, it is logical that Josette was played in all of her actual appearances by Kathryn Leigh Scott as well.
- The year of Josette's suicide changed throughout the run of the series, beginning with the pre-Barnabas year of 1834, and moving sequentially through 1795, 1796, and 1797 in the later parts of the series.