| Simone Russell | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Passions character | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Cathy Jenéen Doe as Simone Russell | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Lena Cardwell (1999–2001) Chrystee Pharris (2001–2004) Cathy Jenéen Doe (2004–2007) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1999–2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | July 5, 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | September 4, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former, regular | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | James E. Reilly | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Lisa de Cazotte | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Simone Russell is a fictional character on the American soap opera Passions, which aired on NBC from 1999 to 2007 and on DirecTV in 2007–08. A member of Passions' Russell family, Simone is introduced as the youngest daughter of Eve Russell and T. C. Russell, and the younger sister of Whitney Russell. Her early appearances center on her love triangle with Chad Harris-Crane and her sister Whitney; the character later gains more prominence on the show through her experience coming out as a lesbian to her family, and her relationship with Rae Thomas. The network defended the show's treatment of Simone's sexuality as a serious commentary on the topic.
Simone was created as a part of the show's effort to represent a complete African-American family and fully realized African-American characters on television. Conceived by the soap's founder and head writer James E. Reilly, the role was portrayed by three actresses over the course of the show: Lena Cardwell (1999–2001), Chrystee Pharris (2001–2004), and Cathy Jenéen Doe (2004–2007). The exact reasons behind Cardwell's departure remain unknown; Pharris chose to leave to pursue other acting opportunities. Doe was the third and final actress to play Simone before the character was written off the show shortly before its transition to DirecTV.
Simone's storyline made daytime television history when Passions became the first soap opera to show two women having sex. The character was also daytime television's first African-American lesbian. At the 17th GLAAD Media Awards, the show won Outstanding Daily Drama, and Doe accepted the award on the show's behalf. The show's representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) topics, and Doe's performance as Simone, received a mixed response from critics; she was the principal actress during the storylines focusing on the character's sexuality.