Valerie Grant is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network.

David and Valerie become engaged in the summer of 1976 but the romance is plagued by his infidelity, his ex-girlfriend Brooke Hamilton and her mother Helen's unwillingness to accept the relationship.

When David's affair with Trish Clayton results in pregnancy, Valerie ends the relationship and takes a scholarship to medical school at Howard University in 1978.

In 2016, after a nearly 35-year absence, the character was reintroduced with veteran actress Vanessa A. Williams in the role, when cardiologist Valerie is enlisted to help save Abe Carver.

The refusal of certain viewers to accept the relationship would make Valerie one of the most controversial characters in the history of Days of Our Lives.

In October 1975, Valerie (Tina Andrews), a young nurse, is shocked when her brother Danny (Michael Dwight Smith) brings home a mysterious stranger after a car accident.

Val later helps David and his great-grandmother Alice Horton (Frances Reid) pack up Julie's nursery.

Brooke confronts David and Val at church, and refuses to marry him realizing he is in love with Valerie, but makes him promise to care for their child.

[7] Meanwhile, the Grant family is turned upside down when Paul and David are accused of stealing money from Anderson Manufacturing.

Val comforts a concerned Helen after Paul nearly falls off the wagon and believes the stress of her impending nuptials to David has driven her dad over the edge.

But upon their return, Brooke blindsides Val with the news that Trish Clayton (Patty Weaver) is pregnant with David's child.

[16] Valerie (Diane Sommerfield) returns to town in November 1981 and strikes up a romance with Police sergeant Abe Carver (James Reynolds).

Val later confesses to harboring David and gives him an alibi for a murder which clears him as a prime suspect in the Salem Strangler serial killer investigation.

Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) brings Valerie (Vanessa A. Williams) back to Salem to oversee Abe's medical treatment.

[17] In early 2017, Valerie is irate to discover a recording device in her purse and confronts Theo who admits to spying on her.

Val later advises Theo and his girlfriend Claire Brady (Olivia Rose Keegan) on how to deal with reactions to their interracial romance.

[2][22] In the summer of 1977, it was announced that Andrews would vacate the role of Valerie after two years to join the cast of the network's prime-time sitcom, Sanford Arms.

[22] Andrews and the producers were working on an arrangement for her to continue taping when she was available, but plans changed when the actress booked several television films.

In April 2016, following the announcement that the series had once again replaced their head writers, a casting call was released for the character of Valerie.

[30] In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, Williams revealed that she'd auditioned for the show several times -- but "guest-star and recurring roles."

[31][32] Actress Tina Andrews, who originated the role of Valerie, relished in challenging the "taboo" and "reflecting life as it really is."

Despite viewer backhlash, Andrews pushed for David and Valerie's eventual marriage and hoped the two would start a family.

David marries Trish and Valerie is written out having received a scholarship to Howard University's College of Medicine.

[22] When Pat Falken Smith was rehired as head writer in 1981, one of the first moves was to bring Valerie back to the canvas with Diane Sommerfield in the role.

[28] It was reported that Valerie, now a respected cardiologist, would return to tend to her former flame, Abe Carver, who had recently been shot.

[35] In addition, Valerie's return puts her in story with Abe's teenage son, Theo (Kyler Pettis).

[30][36] The actress also had to learn medical terminology and credits co-star Evans, who plays Kayla Brady, with helping Williams step into the doctor role.

[37] In December 2016, reports surfaced with claims that the character of Levi would be Valerie's son which led to speculation that David was the man's father, making him a member of show's core family, the Hortons.

On December 11, 2016, Seaforth Hayes announced Archey's casting in a video interview with the actor and revealed that he would portray Julie's grandson, Eli Grant.

[40] In 2020, Candace Young and Charlie Mason from Soaps She Knows put Valerie on their list of Daytime's Most Important African-American Characters, commenting that "Andrews made headlines with Richard Guthrie as David Banning in creating what Jet magazine called at the time "TV's Controversial Interracial Couple."