- „Life is short and we have to enhance every opportunity”
- —Vanessa[src]
Vanessa Shaw is a recurring character on CW teen soap 90210. She is portrayed by Arielle Kebbel.
Character[]
Vanessa is first shown as the girl who hits Liam and states it was a hit and run. She covers it up and lies about it. Later she becomes close to Liam and Liam takes her in as a rebound after Annie not being there for him. While her lies are still floating, she is shown as struggling with them and soon enough her lies catch up with her and the truth is shown.
Season 4[]
Vanessa is the girl who ran over Liam Court. She realizes that he is a model by the billboard nearby and reported a collision as a hit and run. Annie goes to see Liam in the hospital and Vanessa, who has been there every day since the accident, shows up. Vanessa takes him home and also states that she didn’t get the license plate of the car that hit him. Liam brings Vanessa to the bar and says he wants to do something fearless like skydiving. So Vanessa tells him to start breaking his patterns and they leave to go skydiving. Meanwhile, Annie tells Dixon she got Liam’s bike fixed as a surprise. Dixon drops off Liam’s bike for Annie and then Liam and Vanessa show up. Liam says it’s too much and Annie says she hopes they can start over, but he disagrees and leaves with Vanessa. Dixon then tells Annie that the mechanic said Liam’s bike was hit by a maroon car, but Vanessa said it was hit by a black car. Vanessa then drives off in her maroon car.
Vanessa with Liam at the bar
Annie throws a “Hello to the New Year” party. Liam and Vanessa show up and Annie tells the two she wants to get to know Vanessa more. She then lets them know that she suspects that Vanessa hit Liam with her car, because there was maroon paint on Liam's motorcycle. Meanwhile, Liam asks Vanessa if she really told the police everything she saw and Vanessa says she did and storms off. Annie then tries to apologize to Liam, but he walks away and kisses Vanessa. Annie, looking for a fresh start, then announces that she’s going to Carnegie Mellon. Later, Annie goes to the airport and when she goes through her purse, she finds out that it's Vanessa's instead. She goes through her wallet it turns out that Vanessa has a bunch of fake ID's with the names: Claire Hallenberg and Carter Hall. Later, Vanessa tells Liam that they should do something even more amazing.
Vanessa tells Liam the truth
In Mama Can You Hear Me Liam and Vanessa are chatting at the bar about tattoos and such, when Annie comes by asking for Liam’s copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for Dixon. That is, of course, a lie, as Annie just wants to get Vanessa alone so she can tell her she knows everything. Vanessa tells Annie she’s got no idea what she’s capable of and Annie tells Vanessa she won’t tell Liam about her IDs if she leaves. Later, Liam and Vanessa are on a bridge eating and Liam tells Vanessa that he wants to be in a relationship with her, not Annie. Vanessa then says she has something to show him. Vanessa leads the duo to a house, where she tells Liam she hit him with her car and that she’s been in trouble with the law before. Annie then shows up out of the blue. Annie used Liam’s GPS on his motorcycle to track him and tells Liam about Vanessa’s criminal record. Vanessa then says she used to live in the broken down house she brought Liam to and that she used to be bounced around different families and she understands if this is all a deal breaker. Liam then defends Vanessa and basically calls Annie nuts and tells her he is not her responsibility.
Vanessa suggests to Liam that they re-launch the bar, which he tells her is an idea and then basically dismisses it. Later, he comes back to see Vanessa has renamed the bar “Offshore” and has spent the money used to pay the bills on the party. The party’s also taking place the next day, nicknamed “Carmageddon” because of high traffic. As stated in the “Naomi” paragraph, the party goes amazing.Vanessa apologizes to Liam for the day they first met and he responds by telling her he trusts her. Liam talks to his manager, Sheila, about taking things to the next level in his career. However, Vanessa comes in and tells Sheila that Liam’s ready now, despite her having no idea what she's talking about. Sheila leaves and Vanessa tells Liam that they’re better off on their own. Vanessa comes back later, with a new wardrobe and a daytime TV guest spot for Liam. Liam also got a job working as a celeb guest at Annie’s benefit. Vanessa surprises Liam at the “Your Day LA” taping and tells him he’s going to be on a cooking segment.
At the benefit, Liam tells Vanessa that he can’t change into something he’s not and that maybe he’s just not star material. While Annie’s talking with Liam, he notices a woman drowning in a bay nearby. Liam then dives in and saves the woman, to a lot of fanfare. Liam gets interviewed by the news about the incident and Vanessa tells him the rescue got him noticed by a couple of casting directors. After Liam leaves, Vanessa pays the woman who was “drowning”. Vanessa continues to work her manager magic and books Liam a bunch of no-name auditions. She also gets him an audition for a supporting role in a movie. When Liam leaves, Vanessa calls someone pretending to be Adrianna and finds out where Ade’s meeting with Lee Brodsky, a big movie producer. Vanessa goes to the restaurant where Lee was supposed to meet Ade and Dixon and invites him over to her table. Later, Liam tells Ade that he got a movie role and didn’t have to audition because Vanessa ran into the producer and got him the job. Adrianna is obviously certain of Vanessa’s role in her missing her meeting.
Vanessa sets up Adrianna
Vanessa finds Ade going through her purse/phone and Ade tells her she knows Vanessa sabotaged her meeting. Vanessa tries to talk her way out of the situation and says she won’t tell Liam about this and won’t be so understanding next time. Meanwhile, Ade shows Liam the headshot of the woman he saved and tells him about Vanessa. Liam confronts Vanessa about the issue at the festival and she tells him Ade is crazy and has it out for her. Vanessa goes into Ade’s trailer and says she warned her. Vanessa then breaks a glass, smashes her head into a mirror, and screams for help. Liam and Dixon show up, and Vanessa tells them that Ade went crazy and attacked her. Ade tries to tell them that Vanessa did it to herself, but Vanessa brings up the purse incident which doesn’t help Ade’s case at all. Ade has to go to security for questioning afterwards, which causes her to miss performing with Dixon.
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Vanessa confess everything
Silver asks Liam to go with her to her appointment tomorrow and thanks him for keeping her doctor visits between them. Vanessa then comes by and gives Liam a $50,000 check, telling him the two should go take a drive up the coast tomorrow. Liam lies to Vanessa and says he has to take publicity photos tomorrow. Over at the doctors, Liam gets text from Vanessa about the photo shoot. Vanessa later confronts Silver about the photo shoot and then asks her and Liam where they really were yesterday. Silver tells Vanessa about Liam taking her to doctors’ appointments. Later, Liam gives Vanessa papers for their new production company.
Vanessa comes back
In Blue Ivy Vanessa is determined to make Liam a serious actor who can do indies. She even snags Liam a crazy big part in a movie despite Liam being rejected initially. When confronted, Vanessa admits that she blackmailed the movie exec “for Liam and their future.” Liam wakes up and realizes that Vanessa is one giant liar and manipulator and tells her to leave. Liam immediately realizes that Vanessa stole all the money in the cash register and took their production company money. Vanessa comes back to tell Liam that his movie got picked up for a sequel and it starts shooting in Bolivia in 3 days. She also tells him she’s attached as his manager/producer and hopes this can be her second chance.
Season 5[]
Vanessa kissing Liam
After asking for a second chance Liam calls Vanessa a crazy, lying bitch and threatens to call the cops on her. Not easily threatened, Vanessa tells Liam that unless he can come up with the $200,000 to buy her out of his contract, she’s staying. Vanessa shows up at the bar. Liam gives her the money and she tells him she can’t accept it since it was obtained fraudulently. It turns out Vanessa had cameras set up around the bar and caught the fire on tape. She frames him by saying she’ll distribute the video unless he gives her a second chance.
Vanessa after falling from the balcony "The Sea Change"
She went as far as getting all his scenes for his movie to shoot in LA so they could be together. Liam has no choice but to give her a second chance. Later, Liam shows up at some random house. It turns out that Vanessa rented the house for them and she tells him they’re moving in together, and practically forces him to have sex with her. Vanessa introduces herself as Liam’s fiancé at the reception, and says they were late because they were having sex. Back at the house, the “couple” gets in a big argument. Liam tells her he’d rather go to jail than marry her. He asks her what she really wants and she screams that she just wants him to love her.
Vanessa's fake identities
He calls her insane. Vanessa then grabs him and accidentally falls off their balcony onto the beach. Liam calls 911, but when he looks down, Vanessa’s not there. A police officer interrogates Liam about Vanessa later, asking if he knows her whereabouts as she's a known con artist and wanted by the police. Liam starts getting blackmailed by someone, saying they know what happened to Vanessa. Liam is frightened and confused as he thought no one could see him that day. However, when Adrianna is getting her hair done, she sees Vanessa at the salon using one of her fake identities, indicating she's back.
Vanessa at the hair salon
Adrianna tells Ashley this, thinking it okay as it is Ashley's duty to protect Liam, but this only causes Ashley to lash out and follow Liam when he is driving to meet his blackmailer and give them the money. The blackmailer turns out to be Vanessa, who is found by Annie when she's investigating for Liam. However, since Liam has just been kidnapped by Ashley under the pretense of "protecting him from Vanessa", Vanessa helps Annie find him, and gets beaten up by Ashley to help Liam. This redeems her in Liam and Annie's eyes, Liam saying to Ashley when she demands to know why he still loves Vanessa, "because she helped me and you didn't". However, when the police come to arrest Ashley, Vanessa is arrested too because she's been wanted for a long time.
Romances[]
Vanessa is the girl who hit Liam in episode "Acquaintance Be Forgot?". After realizing something is going on with Annie he get's worried and starts to look for her. While Liam is searching a driver doesn't notice him and BANG! Liam is unconsious laying on the street Vanessa (the driver) runs out to see Liam. She dials 911 and reports a hit and run she doesn't report herself she keeps it a secret. Soon Annie finds out Liam was in an accident and starts to think she should come back but doesn't. When Annie returns she goes straight to the hospital but soon finds Vanessa Liam explains how Vanessa reported the hit and run and has been by his side everyday since the accident.
Liam says to Annie "When I found out you were in trouble I dropped everything and went looking for you. When you found out I was in trouble you went shopping for paper weights." Annie offers to take Liam home but Liam tells her he has a ride and that Vanessa is going to drive him Liam says bye to Annie and Liam and Vanessa leave. Vanessa soon became Liam's girlfriend and they do everything together such as skydiving together and going on road trips. However, after she became obsessive with his career, he broke up with her, after finding out she blackmailed a director to give him the lead in a film. When she leaves he discovers she took all of his money out of the cash register.
Quotes[]
- I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but that's the way the business works
- – Vanessa to Liam