| Janene Whitney | |||||||
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| Days Of Our Lives | |||||||
| Portrayed by | Mary Wilcox (1969) Pat Hornung (1969-70) Joan Van Ark (1970) | ||||||
| Current status | Former; Recurring | ||||||
| Duration | 1969-70 | ||||||
| First appearance | June 6, 1969 | ||||||
| Last appearance | September 11, 1970 | ||||||
| Cause/reason | Left Town | ||||||
| Created by | William J. Bell | ||||||
| Introduced by | Betty Corday | ||||||
| Profile | |||||||
| Gender | Female | ||||||
| Occupation | Model | ||||||
| Residence | New York Formerly Salem, Illinois | ||||||
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Janene Whitney is a character from the soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed most recently by Joan Van Ark.
Storylines
Janene Whitney made her first appearance in 1969. At that time, she was in a relationship with Tony Romano, who was both a colleague and a roommate of Bill Horton. Janene, a model, first encountered Bill during a double date arranged by Tony. Shortly thereafter, Tony and Janene ended their relationship, and Janene developed an interest in Bill. Meanwhile, Bill was deeply infatuated with his brother's wife, Laura Horton, and was secretly the father of her son, Mike Horton.
As Janene and Bill grew closer, they went on numerous dates. Toward the end of 1969, Janene announced her plans to relocate to New York City for a modeling opportunity, prompting Bill to decide to accompany her. Just prior to their departure, Bill met with his ex-sister-in-law, Kitty Horton, who had discovered the truth about Mike's paternity and began to blackmail Bill. After confronting Kitty, Bill left, and she suffered a fatal heart attack shortly thereafter. Although Bill and Janene traveled to New York, they soon returned, and Bill was charged with murder. He confessed, resolved to protect the secret he shared with Laura. Janene became involved in the investigation and trial concerning Bill. She stood by him, but after Bill received a sentence of 3-5 years in prison, Janene ultimately decided to leave Salem.