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Edward "Ned" Ashton
Played by Wally Kurth

Ned Ashton is the child of rich socialite Tracy Quartermaine and Lord Larry Ashton. However, Tracy was cut out of her father's will for a long time and was no longer rich. Larry and Tracy were divorced, and Larry found out he wasn't a real Lord.

Ned grew up in boarding schools, like most of the Quartermaine children. He came to live in Port Charles when he was in his 20's. He had previously been a tennis instructor at a spa. Monica met him there, where he was going by the name of "Wade", and they had a brief affair. They were both shocked to learn, later on, that they were related (by marriage).

At one time, Ned was shown to be a computer whiz, when he worked at the hospital. He was groomed for a while to take over the reins at ELQ. There is always an ongoing battle between him, Edward, A.J., and Skye over who should run the company. Ned seems to be the most qualified and the least ruthless.

Ned has been married quite a few times. He married Monica's daughter, Dawn, but they broke up when he cheated on her.  Dawn left Ned at the wedding reception, ran away with a dirtbag named Decker, and was killed by a ponytailed no-talent singer named Edge. Then, Ned married Jenny Eckert. Less than a year later, he filed for divorce because Jenny had lied to him about being a virgin. Ned had divorce papers served on Jenny on Christmas Eve. Ned regrets his past mistakes and is a better person for the experiences.

Ned has had two great loves. One was Lois Cerullo, a girl from Brooklyn (not his usual type of woman). She was brash and sassy, and she introduced him to places and experiences that were new to him. They were married in New York and went to Coney Island. Edward was not pleased about the marriage but the rest of the family loved Lois, who liked to express her opinion. They broke up briefly when she found out that he was already married to Katherine Bell, but they got back together again later. They had a beautiful daughter, whom they named Brook Lynn.

Lois and Ned met when he was incognito. He had been singing and playing in a band called "The Idle Rich" as "Eddie Maine" in small venues. She met him and was interested in him as a band manager. Eventually they formed L&B records. The B was for Brenda Barrett, their friend who ran half the company. Ned eventually hung up his rock and roll leather pants to head ELQ again, but he has always been torn between the two lifestyles.

Lois and Ned divorced because his family came between them too many times. Lois didn't want her daughter raised by the Quartermaines, whom she saw as dysfunctional, and Ned did not want to move away. It was very sad and, for a time, seemed to take something out of Ned.

Later, Ned was involved with his other great love, Alexis. They were both yuppies with high-powered jobs. More importantly, they both held similar positions in their families as "gate keepers" (meaning the person in the family who keeps everything going and defends them from the outside world). But Alexis couldn't handle the commitment, so she fled, leaving Ned literally standing at the altar. While they have remained friends for the most part, it has clearly been a more bitter experience for Ned.

When Ned first met Alexis' sister Kristina, they did not get along. Later, she grew on him and for a while they had a great relationship. She was beautiful and had an unusual personality. She shared his interest in music, and they sang together, but she became very jealous of Alexis. Then she was murdered in an explosion, which was tragic for everyone, but especially for Ned.

Ned and Alexis grew close again around the time she was interested in mobster Sonny Corinthos. She got pregnant by Sonny after a one-night stand, and then Sonny reconciled with his wife, so Alexis confided in Ned that she didn't want to risk losing her baby to Sonny. Ned graciously offered to help raise the baby and put his name on the birth certificate. Alexis readily agreed. Kristina was born, named after Alexis' sister. Alexis was irrational around the time the baby was born; she didn't want Ned or anyone else near her. She felt threatened because of nearly losing Kristina, who was born prematurely after Alexis started giving birth in the snow. Ned fought hard to stay close to Kristina, whom he now considered his child as well. Then he and Alexis had to fight for custody. Alexis killed Alcazar after a struggle and then pretended she had a split personality. Ned got custody of baby Kristina while Alexis was supposed to undergo therapy.

For a time, Ned seemed to have a vendetta against Sonny, whom he blamed for the death of Alexis’ sister, Kristina. He even hooked up with another mobster to take down Sonny, but then he realized it was too dangerous and that she was crazier than Sonny.

Ned had a close relationship with Skye for awhile; the two of them helped to raise Kristina  After a long battle and many lies, Ned gave Kristina back to Alexis. Ned turned his focus back to the music business when he started L&B Records up again. He eventually moved back to New York with Lois and his daughter, Brook Lynn in 2007. He occasionally visits his family in Port Charles.

Ned is basically a good man, but he can have a blind spot sometimes when it comes to his family. When backed into a corner, he can be just as ruthless as Edward. Ned likes to spar verbally with Edward and AJ When it comes to ethics, Ned is usually aligned with Alan and Monica. Ned has helped out younger guys like Zander and his younger brother Dillon by giving them jobs at ELQ. Ned was a mentor for a while to his younger brother, Dillon.

Ned's mother Tracy is a real witch, so they don't get along. He loves her but can't stand her. When they live in the same town, she tries to run his life and gets into trouble. He is probably much better off living in a different city, but we really miss him.

Proofread by Laura 1/12/11

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Page updated 4/28/12