Haley James Scott

Haley James Scott
File:HaleySeason7.jpg Bethany Joy Galeotti as Haley James Scott
Portrayed by	Bethany Joy Galeotti
First appearance	Pilot (episode 1.01)
Created by	Mark Schwahn
In-universe information Other names Haley James Occupation High school English Teacher/Singer/Music producer Family Lydia James (mother) Jimmy James (father) Taylor James (sister) Vivian James (sister) Quinn James (sister) 2 other unknown siblings Peyton Sawyer (sister in-law) Sawyer Brooke Scott (Niece, via Lucas) Spouse Nathan Scott (husband) Children James Lucas Scott (son) Other relatives Lydia James (mother) Jimmy James (father) Taylor James (sister) Vivian James (sister) Quinn James (sister) Keith Scott (uncle-in-law; deceased) Lucas Scott (brother-in-law) Peyton Sawyer Scott Sawyer Brooke Scott (Niece) Dan Scott (father-in-law) Deborah Lee (mother-in-law) Cooper Lee (uncle-in-law) Royal Scott (grandfather-in-law) Mae Scott (grandmother-in-law)

Haley James Scott is a fictional character on the CW television series One Tree Hill, played by Bethany Joy Galeotti. Haley is Lucas Scott’s best friend and sister-in-law, Nathan Scott’s wife, and the mother of James Lucas Scott. She is one of the two main female characters, along with Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush), following the departure of Hilarie Burton, who played Peyton Sawyer.

The rest of your life is a long time and whether, you know it or not it's being shaped right now. You can choose to blame your circumstances on fate or bad luck or bad choices, or you can fight back. Things aren't always going to be fair in the real world, that's just the way it is, but for the most part you get what you give. Let me ask you all a question. What's worse: not getting everything you wished for or getting it but finding out it's not enough? The rest of your life is being shaped right now with the dreams you chase, the choices you make and the person you decide to be. The rest of your life is a long time and the rest of your life starts right now.

— Haley James Scott

Fictional character biography

Haley James Scott (formerly Haley James) is the youngest daughter of Jimmy and Lydia James. She is the youngest of four girls, the others being Taylor, Quinn and Vivian.

Haley grows up along with her best friend (and later, brother-in-law) Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) in Tree Hill, a small North Carolina town, and her first job is as a waitress in Karen’s Café. A graduate of Tree Hill High School, she is known for her cautious and studious ways. She drives a 2000 Honda Civic Sedan (shown very rarely on the show, although it can be seen in many shots of the outside of the apartment). She drives this Seasons 1-3, and then a 2006 Honda Civic Sedan for Season 4. From between S4 and S5 to present, Haley drives a 2007 Mazda CX-7 Sport AWD (seen in 517, 602, 604, 607, etc.). She also drives Nathan's cars from time to time.

Season 1

Lucas joins the Ravens varsity basketball team and instantly clashes with his half-brother Nathan, also a player on the team. Nathan, "the bad boy of Tree Hill", decides to use Haley in his scheme to destroy Lucas and Haley agrees to tutor Nathan if he leaves Lucas alone. When Lucas finds out what has been going on, he is angry with Haley but she refuses to stop tutoring Nathan as she made him a promise.

After Nathan's girlfriend Peyton Sawyer dumps him, he and Haley start to grow closer. After many hiccups, including Nathan's inability to admit their growing relationship in front of his friends, they embark on a relationship together. Lucas and Haley struggle to maintain their friendship as she and Nathan continue seeing each other. Haley is angry to learn that Nathan initially only came after her because he wanted to get at Lucas but when Nathan assures her that he's not that guy anymore, she forgives him and they get back together.

Haley also becomes friends with Peyton, who she initially disliked, and counsels Peyton as she and Lucas find themselves caught up in a love triangle with Brooke Davis. Although Nathan's mother, Deb is fond of Haley, she faces hostility from his father, Dan. When Nathan becomes involved in Dan and Deb's messy divorce, Haley suggests that he emancipates himself from them. After doing so, Nathan moves into his new apartment.

One morning, Haley comes over and Nathan notices that she has gotten a tattoo of his jersey number, 23, on her lower back and this leaves Nathan wondering why Haley still won't sleep with him. Haley has always vowed not to lose her virginity until she is married and Nathan comes to respect that, while he and Haley acknowledge that their relationship has taken on a new dimension - they have fallen in love. However, when Haley discovers that Nathan has been surfing porn on the internet, she feels insecure about a sexual relationship once again, until Nathan declares his love for her in the rain. Meanwhile, Lucas tells Haley that he has decided to go and live with Keith in Charleston and Haley is saddened that her best friend is leaving. When Lucas comes to say goodbye to Haley, he is surprised to discover that Haley slept with Nathan in spite of her wish to be a virgin until marriage. She explains that she did wait; Haley and Nathan got married the night before.

Season 2

As their marriage continues, Haley and Nathan seem to encounter more and more hardships as a young couple, realizing that their marriage might hinder their dreams; Nathan's dream being basketball, and Haley's dream being music. With the arrival of Haley's sister, Taylor, the couple have their first big fight, as it is revealed that Nathan lost his virginity to Taylor. Also with the arrival of Chris Keller, a conceited albeit talented musician, the problems in the marriage are escalated, due to Nathan's jealousy and distrust of Chris. As Haley and Chris begin to spend more and more time together, recording a duet of Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue," they realize that they have a strong musical connection. This of course angers Nathan even more, especially when he realizes that Chris' feelings for his wife are not exactly platonic.

When Haley is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go on tour with Chris Keller (Tyler Hilton), The Wreckers (Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp) and Gavin DeGraw, Nathan is outraged and gives Haley an ultimatum; if she goes on the tour, their marriage is over. Haley is hurt and ultimately decides that she needs to follow her dreams. She reluctantly accepts Chris' offer unlike Nathan who had refused his dream of attending High Flyers, an elite basketball camp just to be with his wife. Haley's leaving sends Nathan on a downward spiral, but Haley fulfills her dreams by building a music career and by performing her songs in front of huge crowds.

Though it is made clear numerous times that she hates herself for leaving Nathan, when he visits her on tour, he is unable to convince her to return to Tree Hill. Near the end of Season 2, she receives a petition for annulment for the marriage to Nathan Scott, leaving Haley heartbroken and filled with regret. Shortly after, Haley is visited by Lucas and Brooke at one of her shows in New York. Lucas tells Haley that although he is so proud of everything she has accomplished, her absence is simply "killing" Nathan. In the end it is Lucas and Brooke's visit that convinces her to return to Tree Hill and to Nathan. In one of the final scenes of the (second season) finale, she shows up at the Scott residence doorstep. Her intentions aren't made clear until the third season premiere.

Season 3

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Nathan and Haley's wedding reception. In "The Show Must Go On" (episode 3.22)

At the outset of Season 3, Haley returned to Tree Hill to find that many things have changed during her absence. Although she professes her undying love for Nathan and begs for his forgiveness, their marriage continues to fall apart. Nathan's anger and inability to trust Haley leads him to strongly consider a divorce. (However, the state requires a year-long period of separation, which circumstances improved.) Haley also finds that her close friend, Peyton, has flat-out refused to speak to her, as Peyton is also angry and hurt by Haley's sudden departure. Haley is faced with a dilemma because, since Nathan moved back into his parent's house and her own parents are traveling the country in an RV, she has nowhere to live. In the end, she moves into her former apartment with Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) and becomes a cheerleader.

Though many relationships in her life are going poorly, Haley is able to reconnect with Lucas, whose forgiveness is much more easily achieved than Nathan's. As they are able to re-establish their foundation as best friends, Haley and Lucas begin their senior year the same way they had begun their junior year; united against the world. Haley is one of the few people who knows about Lucas's HCM, and pleads with him to stop playing basketball. Concerned for his safety, she threatens to tell Whitey Durham, Lucas' coach, about Lucas' heart condition unless Lucas tells him himself.

Later on, after a slow process, Nathan and Haley realize that they love each other too much to let their marriage die and begin to re-establish their relationship as a married couple. Having many things yet to discuss, and many obstacles yet to overcome both Haley and Nathan reunite. She also reconciles with Peyton, who admits that she was taking her frustrations out on Haley because, out of everyone who has left her over the years, Haley is the only one who came back. Haley finally finds a way to balance her love for Nathan and her love for music and records Halo for Peyton's Friends With Benefits CD, promoting breast cancer awareness.

When troubled teen, Jimmy Edwards, brings a gun to school, Haley and Nathan end up trapped in the tutor centre with him during the shooting. After the death of Keith Scott they realize how they need each other and decide move back in together. During a weekend getaway at a friend's cabin, Haley ecstatically accepts Nathan's proposal to renew their marriage vows in front of all their loved ones. The wedding takes place in the season three finale, along with a shocking cliffhanger in which Haley might be pregnant and Nathan's fate is unknown. The episode ends with Haley's desperate and touching call for help.

Season 4

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Haley confronts Rachel. In "Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers" (episode 4.14)

During the premiere of season four, Brooke was viewed as being the one pregnant, but after a few episodes, it was discovered that Brooke was covering for Haley's pregnancy. When Brooke finally told Haley she couldn't pretend to be pregnant anymore, Haley realized it was time to face Nathan and tell him about their baby. Because of Haley's and Nathan's debt, she's been working shifts at Karen's Cafe and has been tutoring Rachel in Calculus. After the State Championship game, Haley jumped in the way of a car that was about to hit Nathan. The car was being driven by Daunte, as revenge for Nathan's betrayal after he was lent money. After a string of operations, she was fine and to her and Nathan's delight, they find that the baby has a heartbeat and that the baby is a boy. After Nathan tells her what he did, she freaks out and leaves; but eventually forgives him. He then buys her a maternity prom gown after winning the stripping contest.

We find out from Haley's class assignment with Skills that if she doesn't pursue a singing career she wants to be a teacher. She also fears that her son will not find his place in the world, like she sometimes feels. In "Pictures of You" (episode 4.13), Skills assures her that he will find a place and that he will make sure of that. Meanwhile, the person who stole the Calculus test is still unknown so the whole Calculus class takes a retake to find out who the cheater is. Rachel puts Brooke's name on her test so Principal Turner assumes she is the one who stole the test. Principal turner confronts Haley about this and Haley knew she could not trust Rachel. Haley also loses her job at the tutor center for letting a student get a hold of the key to the cabinet with the tests.

At a party later that night Haley confronts Rachel about "stealing" the Calculus test and slaps her. Rachel then tries to push Haley but is stopped by Skills who asks her to leave. Rachel takes the fall for Brooke because she wants Brooke's fashion designs to be sent to Victoria's Secret. By the end of the night, a sex tape is revealed of Nathan and Brooke. Haley as well as everyone else is left in shock. Haley is a little overemotional due to the fact that she is pregnant so she does not take the video lightly. She asks Nathan to write a list of every girl he has ever slept with. In the end, Nathan writes the list, but Haley doesn't read it because she knows that she is the only one that matters because she is the only one he has ever loved. They go to the prom together and are really happy. Days after, the gang goes to Honey Grove, Texas, to help Mouth. Their car breaks down, where Chris Keller rides up in his tour bus. They crash the prom there, where Haley finds out it was Brooke who stole the Calculus test. Haley is mad at first, but she forgives Brooke. Once back in Tree Hill, Principal Turner tells Haley she cannot make her valedictorian speech, because of Nathan's point shaving. Nathan finds out, and fixes the situation, and Haley gets to make it. She then visits Whitey at his house to talk about Nathan. In the middle of her valedictorian speech for graduation, when she is quoting Julius Caesar, Haley begins to laugh nervously and bend over in pain. It turns out she has gone into labor with her son. Everyone looks shocked and Nathan stands up in excitement.

Soon after, she gives birth to a son, James Lucas Scott (best known by his nickname Jamie). She also makes up with Rachel, yet they still have a strained relationship.

Missing years

Four months before the start of Season 5, she accompanies Nathan to celebrate his eponymous shoe, but leaves early to look after their son Jamie. It is later that night that in an accident Nathan (temporarily) loses the use of his legs.

Season 5

Struggling with her marriage, she tries her best to raise her son Jamie and soon hires a nanny named Carrie. She then becomes a teacher at Tree Hill High and gets sexually harassed by a student named Quentin and runs away in tears. The next day, she challenges him to leave her class and fail it, effectively preventing him from joining the Ravens, due to the school policy. She also makes Nathan realize his selfish ways could cost him their marriage and his son.

Peyton has Haley sit in on one of her studio sessions with Jason's band. After Jason acts up, and after hearing the band's pianist Mia play, Haley convinces Peyton to let Jason (and effectively the rest of the band) go so that Mia could become the real star. Haley offers to work on Mia's record, reawakening her musical talent and passion. Arriving home late at night, she goes into Jamie's room to kiss him goodnight and finds a sweet drawing of Jamie with Carrie, the new nanny, and fears that Jamie may have replaced her with Carrie in the event of her constant absence in his life. She then offers Quentin a deal to go back to both her classes and basketball which he agrees to (with a little push from Nathan.)

Haley starts to get anxious about how attractive her nanny is but does not notice how much Carrie is hitting on Nathan. She soon gets disappointed by most of her friends when she witnesses Lucas kiss Peyton and when Nathan once again lets his temper get the best of him when Jason sexually harasses Haley. Haley misses the Ravens' first basketball game due to being locked in the Tree Hill High School library with Brooke, Peyton, Mia, Lindsay, and at one point, Tim. When she comes home, she finds Nathan and Carrie in the shower and kicks them out.

As Carrie manipulates Jamie into hating Haley, Nathan tries to defend himself, begging for forgiveness and swearing that Carrie's inappropriate crush and constant flirting was never reciprocated. However, he only makes the situation worse by revealing Carrie kissed him, leading to an argument during which Jamie almost drowns in the pool. After they save him, Haley tells Nathan their marriage is over, leaving him devastated. Lucas and Lindsey then try to save her marriage by inviting her to their combined bachelor(ette) party, but it backfires as Haley realizes she is done trying to change Nathan.

When Haley reads Lucas's book and realizes the depth of his feelings for Peyton, she calls him to tell him not to marry Lindsey. After witnessing Lindsey leave Lucas at the altar, she realizes that Jamie is missing and blames herself for his disappearance. Jamie returns home that night, followed by his rescuer, Dan. She and Nathan attend marriage counseling and are able to work things out. She reboots her singing career when she and Peyton record an album. After learning that Dan is dying, she tries to prevent Jamie from spending time with him, but after Jamie gets mad at her for this, she allows him to approach Dan once after a Ravens game. Haley tells Lucas that he needs to choose who he wants to be with, because the people who care about him are worried.

Season 6

Haley initially did not have any significant scenes but appeared in several scenes with Lucas, Nathan and Jamie. Haley is the one who breaks the news to Nathan that Quentin was shot and killed. Haley gets a call from a nurse from Tree Hill hospital informing her that Dan is dying. Knowing that Jamie didn't get a chance to say goodbye to his grandfather, she takes him to see Dan. Once she gets there, she is knocked out by Carrie, who then attempts to snatch Jamie. After Haley finds Jamie in a field, her phone rings and Carrie chases the two of them before getting knocked out by Deb, then shot by Dan. Nathan gets a chance to play Slamball, which Haley watches with trepidation, yet decides to support Nathan. During a game, Nathan gets knocked out of a window by a former rival and decides to give up Slamball as it is not worth losing his family over. Haley performs in Peyton's USO show and battles stage fright, although she eventually goes on singing "Feel This". Her performance is amazing and the crowd loves her. In the episode following Chad Michael Murray's 40's episode, Haley helps Jamie prepare for his school talent show, where he is to follow in his mother's footsteps and play the piano. He wants to do stand-up, and decides to do a mixture of both. When Nathan receives the news that he has just been accepted to the Charleston Chiefs, Haley is very excited for him and hugs him and they kiss. Haley supports Nathan after he makes the Charleston Chiefs basketball team. She also helps Mia find inspiration for her next album and is the first (after Lucas of course) to find out about Peyton's pregnancy, already calling dibs on godmother. After Nathan returns home for the weekend, she and Nathan leave Jamie and Andre with Luke and Peyton and go on a double date at TRIC with Mia and Chase. As a joke, Mia and Haley sign Nathan and Chase up for karaoke. Haley goes to Nathan's basketball games, and she and Jamie are sad that Nathan doesn't get to play. After she tells Nathan to keep pushing, and after Jamie adorably calls his coach and asks him to give Nathan another chance, Nathan gets a chance to play and Haley is ecstatic. Haley chooses Sam's essay to win an essay contest, and she will put the essay into the school newspaper. However, the strict new principal tells Haley she doesn't like the essay because of the sex and drug references, and she tells Haley to either not publish the essay or be fired. Haley chooses to publish the essay anyway, and Sam watches Haley follow the principal into her office to receive her punishment. She lures Nathan to a creepy old house in Charleston, where he now plays basketball, and sets up a romantic dinner to celebrate their anniversary. Here, she reveals that she was suspended from her teaching job for publishing Sam's essay. She also talks about moving here, and the two discuss Haley possibly going back on tour. In the end, it's decided that if the house is still available many years from now when Jamie's all grown up, they will return.

Principal Rimkus calls Haley into her office and tells Haley that she will resign her position as editor of the school newspaper, tell her literature class she made a serious error in judgement, and print a written apology (which Rimkus has prepared for her) in the next issue of the paper, and if she does not comply, she will be fired. Haley spends the episode pondering what she should do, and tries to distract herself by helping Mia with her album. In the end however she begins apologizing to her class with Rimkus watching her, but she snaps inside and tells them that she was 100% right to publish Sam's essay and they should always tell the truth and stand up for what's right, and given the look on Rimkus' face, she knows that she was just fired, but continues to tell her students never to give up. Due to her new lack of a job, she decides to fully commit to music by becoming a full-time producer of Mia's new record. Principal Rimkus has taken over all of Haley's classes and a rebellion takes place sparked by Sam and Jack. After walking out of class, they convince Haley's entire class to go to her house and surprise her, and they tell Haley they can't imagine being taught by anyone else but her. They begin a mini-lesson in Haley's living room but are interrupted when a furious Rimkus walks in. Everyone heads back to school, and all Rimkus has to say is that Haley left some stuff in HER new classroom that needs to be removed. After a confrontation between Haley and Rimkus about her nasty attitude, Haley goes to pick up her things and Rimkus begins to offer Haley her job back, and Haley declines and tells her congratulations for firing a teacher who loves her class and obtaining a class who doesn't want to learn. She drops Jamie off at school and his teacher Lauren tells Haley a very prestigious private school called the Oppenheimer School has asked to meet with Jamie for him to become a student, which excites Haley since she always wanted to go there as a child. She and Nathan take Jamie there and it's not easy since they have recess textbooks and "mathketball" (which worries Nathan). In the end, Nathan and Haley, with input from Jamie, decide it's best to keep him in his current school.

Peyton tells Haley the label wants to buy one of her songs, saying there must have been a singer who liked it. Haley is a little unsure about selling her songs seeing as she has never done that before. Peyton asks Haley just to think about it. Haley considers but before she has completely made up her rmind, the singer with an interest in her song arrives and it turns out to be Nick Lachey. He asks Haley if he can buy it and she says no, thinking it's best. He tries to guilt her into letting him buy the song, but to no avail. Towards the end of the episode Haley is in the studio, and Nick comes back asking her to reconsider. She asks him to sing for her and when he does she decides to let him buy the song, but only on the condition that she produces it.

After the Minister is unable to attend on the day of Peyton and Lucas's wedding, Lucas asks Haley to officiate the wedding, registers on LastMinuteMinister.com and although she initially found it hard to find anything to say she eventually made a heartfelt speech for the couple. She then has "slutty wedding sex" with Nathan at the reception. In the season 6 finale, Haley finds out that Nathan has made it to the NBA. Haley and Nathan tell Jamie to watch the sports news when Mouth announces the big news and Haley, Nathan and Jamie all take a trip to Charlotte where Nathan plays his first game for the Bobcats.

See also

• List of fictional supercouples
• Quotes