Paulette Bolton (Josie Davis) is the main villianess of the 2016 Lifetime film Backstabbed (originally title Crossing the Line; airdate September 3, 2016).
History[]
She was a notoriously ruthless realtor who was willing to go to any length--including scamming and murder--to get to the top. She was also the conspirator (and occasional lover) to investor Max. The opening of the movie showed her killing realtor Beth who was arranging to sell a land property Paulette had her eyes on, doing so by hitting her with a bat.
Events[]
After teaching a class of budding realtors, Paulette was approached by Shelby Wilson and Paulette agreed to take her on as an intern. At her first open house with Paulette, Shelby had a run in with Walter, a brutish man that Paulette owed money from a business deal that went bad. Later on, Paulette convinced Shelby to pose as a possible buyer to land the house deal, but it failed when Shelby said she would buy for a higher price, disappointing Paulette. Paulette returned to her apartment complex, where it is revealed that she had rented out an employee's closet. After arguing with her landlord over her late rent, Paulette had a breakdown in her "home".
The next day, Shelby won back Paulette by helping secure another deal. Later, Paulette met with Max to discuss the land property, and Max agreed to help her--if he received "perks" in the form of Shelby. Paulette picked up Shelby from her house to take her to show her the land property, briefly flashing back to herself murdering Beth. She also gave Shelby a copy of her licensing test, allowing her to pass. Another night, she had Shelby meet with Max and goaded her into joining the sexually aggressive Max in the hot tub. But when Max removed his trunks whilst in the tub, Shelby panicked and left, upsetting Paulette again. During this whole thing, a hooker paid by Paulette was drugging Grant (Shelby's husband) at a bar before taking him back to his house and taking suggestive pictures of him when he was passed out. She then sent the pictures to Grant's phone, which Shelby saw, creating a rift between the couple and causing Shelby to come back to work with Paulette despite her earlier reservations. But the controlling villainess became angry with Shelby after upstaging her while presenting their idea to Max.
Meanwhile, Grant found out from the hooker who roofied him what Paulette had done and told Shelby, who was fully convinced when she found the photos on Paulette's phone. Shelby, having finally seen Paulette for what she was, quit their partnership and convinced Max to work with her instead. A vengeful Paulette filed a complaint against Shelby with the Board Of Real Estate. Paulette tried to convince Shelby to come back to work with her, but Shelby refused and revealed her partnership with Max. Paulette became enraged, a rage that increased when Shelby had her evicted from her apartment for living there illegally. Walter confronted her, threatening to give him the money she owed, and Paulette agreed to under one condition: He had to "eliminate" Shelby. Her plan failed when Walter (non-fatally) shot Grant instead. As Paulette met with Walter to pay him, she discreetly stole his gun and used it to shoot him, staging the death as a suicide. After visiting Grant in the hospital and making one last failed attempt to get Shelby back as a partner, the villainess surprised Shelby at Max's house, knocking her out before shooting and killing Max (off-screen). She then took Shelby to the land property and forced her at gunpoint to take a lethal dose of pills, intending to stage her and Max's deaths as a murder-suicide. But instead, Shelby faked dying and attacked Paulette, knocking her out with a rock and calling 911 before passing out. When the police arrived, Paulette attempted to run, but was caught and arrested.
Trivia[]
- Josie Davis previously played villainous roles in the 2008 Lifetime film The Perfect Assistant as Rachel Partson and the 2013 Lifetime film Dirty Teacher as Molly Matson.
- Josie Davis also appeared as the evil Marta on NCIS, and as villainess Serena from an episode of Chuck.
Gallery[]
