Louise Hawkins

Louise Hawkins was the main villainess from the 2018 Lifetime film, Bad Stepmother.

She was played by Kristy Swanson.

Louise's slight backstory revealed that she served as Richard's secretary before quickly marrying Richard. Within days of becoming his wife, Louise planned to kill Richard to gain his wealth, doing so by poisoning his prescribed medication. The opening of the film showed Richard falling to his death, while Louise played the role of a panicked wife to cover up her scheming villainous persona.

As also revealed, Louise was having an illicit affair with married Eugene Straybol, who was the executor of the estate. She was present at the reading of the will, alongside her son Eric, as well as Jonathan, Verity, and April (Jonathan's fiancee), and was shocked to learn that she wouldn't receive the Hawkins home. After Jonathan ejected Louise and Eric (the latter enticing Verity), Louise returned to her apartment and intentionally started a fire to destroy the place. She phoned Eric and feigned panic, claiming that an accident happened at the apartment, all the while, Louise gave a sadistic and evil gleam over her handiwork.

Louise's plan began to work; she and Eric ended up living in the home. While meeting with Eugene, however, it was revealed that Richard was deep in debt, which prompted the villainess to convince Eugene into taking Jonathan and Verity's trust funds--worth $10 million. All the while, the evil Louise began her plan to eliminate her stepchildren, beginning with sending Eric to kill Jonathan, which he does while the two of the were out sailing. Eric caused an "accident" that sent Jonathan overboard and to his death. Louise also sent Eric to shoot and kill Gary Sims, a PI that Jonathan hired to investigate Louise, who also planned to poison Verity. However, Verity and April found Jonathan's phone and played a recording of Sims revealing that Louise killed Richard.

Meanwhile, Eugene retrieved the cash and bought tickets to Mexico for them. At that moment, though, Louise betrayed her lover and had Eric knock him out with chloroform, as she had planned for the trip to be for her and her son. She then ordered Eric to shoot and kill Eugene and make it look like a suicide, while also pinning Richard's death on him. Once Cara, the housekeeper, walked in on Eric, Louise came from behind and stabbed her to death. Eric killed Eugene, but the gunshot was heard by Verity and April, who later caught him in his role and ended up shot by April. In the final scenes, Verity drove after Louise, who was on her way to the ferry and ran off when she saw Verity following her. The wicked villainess waited in ambush and attempted to attack Verity with her briefcase, only to end up falling over the boat's railing and to her death.