| “ | I did those things for you. To protect you. You needed to see how scary this world can be. | „ |
| ~ Cynthia trying to manipulate Alicia into forgiving her. |
Cynthia Hughes is the main antagonist of the 9-1-1 Season 9 episode "Family History".
She is a woman who cyberbullies her own daughter Alicia, hoping to keep her isolated and dependent on her. This results in Alicia attempting suicide, which draws Athena's attention.
She was portrayed by Corbin Reid.
Biography[]
Maddie receives an emergency call from Cynthia Hughes, who reports that her daughter Alicia has overdosed on pills. When Athena arrives, she guides Cynthia in efforts to revive Alicia.
At the hospital, Alicia opens up about the cyberbullying she's experienced, which contributed to her overdose. Cynthia mentions that the guidance counselor was unable to assist. Athena checks Alicia’s phone for messages and inquires if they have any suspects. Alicia mentions that she has been hanging out with some cruel girls, and Athena vows to discover the culprit.
At the precinct, Athena questions Alicia's classmates about the messages. They claim Alicia used to be very popular but became paranoid about the texts. During their interviews, they contradict each other and shift the blame to her former best friend, Bailey Thompson. Athena meets Bailey at school, where Bailey asserts that Alicia ended their friendship and offers her phone to prove her innocence.
Later, Athena and May talk about the latter's past suicide attempt. May recalls waking up in the hospital and seeing her mother’s face, which reassured her. This conversation prompts Athena to realize that Cynthia is actually the bully.
Athena confronts Cynthia to elicit a confession and traces the IP address back to her. When Alicia calls Cynthia’s phone, Athena discovers that Cynthia has locked herself in the bathroom and is overdosing on pills. Athena intervenes, saving Cynthia's life and preventing her from escaping justice.
Alicia visits her mother in the hospital, seeking answers despite Athena's concerns. Cynthia claims her actions were meant to shield Alicia from the harsh realities of the world and attempts to manipulate her into forgiving her. Alicia sees through the deception, refusing to ever speak to Cynthia again and vowing to create a life independent of her mother. Bailey arrives at the hospital, and she and Alicia leave together. Athena gives Cynthia a disgusted look before exiting and leaving her alone in her room.
Cynthia is presumably sent to prison or a psychiatric facility for her crimes.
Trivia[]
- The storyline is based on the Lauryn Licari case, where her own mother was caught cyberbullying her.
- The ironic part is she thinks that by cyberbullying her own daughter Alicia, she's showing Alicia how scary the world really is, when in reality she's the real "scary" one.
