Rhonda Volmer

Rhonda Volmer is a fictional character in the HBO series Big Love, and is portrayed by Daveigh Chase. She is the 16-year-old former bride-to-be of the now late Roman Grant.

Escape from the Compound

When Bill Henrickson and Nicolette Grant fled the Juniper Creek Compound, she stowed away in their truck. She has since stayed with the Henricksons, at a shelter, and with another family. At the beginning of season 3, Rhonda is living with a group of teenagers from the compound, including Bill's half-brother Frankie, but is later bribed by Adeleen to leave before she testifies. She is last seen hitchhiking with truckers to Los Angeles.

Personality

Rhonda has a complicated personality. Although extremely intelligent, she is a pathological liar, known to lie in response to even the simplest questions. She lived a very sheltered life. She frequently makes baseless accusations, especially if she believes it will garner the sympathies of those around her. She has a humble, trustworthy demeanor, but she is actually very calculating and manipulative. Rhonda has dreams of moving to New York and becoming a celebrity. She is selfish and demanding. She desperately wants people to like her but is unable to interact in a way that would actually encourage affection or friendship from anyone.

She also is partly responsible for the "outing" of Bill's family as polygamists at the end of Season One. Rhonda is seen manipulating the family with lies, and learning about the situation with Barb entering the competition for Mother of the Year. Prior to the "outing" of the family with their practice of polygamy during the Mother of the Year Event, Rhonda is seen giving Roman Grant a paper with a number, in which he uses to call and inform an unknown person of Bill and his family's practice of polygamy. This insinuates that Roman was the informer. After Roman makes his call, Rhonda smiles with self-satisfaction.

In season 3 Rhonda appears as a witness for the prosecution in the criminal trial against Roman Grant for selling underage brides. Using her usual troubled but manipulative methods, she thinks she can lie on the stand to get the criminal conviction, then use that to secure a large civil verdict. Bill tries to convince her she won't succeed. Adaleen finds her and offers her $30,000 to not testify. She takes the money and leaves for Los Angeles.

Episode 4 of season 5 introduces Rhonda as the wife of Cara Lyn's cousin, Verlan, and as mother to Verlan's child Jessica. Rhonda's relationship with Heather is slightly less antagonistic than it has been in seasons past until Ben chooses Heather over Rhonda, which leads Rhonda to tell Heather, "He's all yours, lesbo."