Veronica Lodge

Veronica Cecilia Lodge is a main character on The CW's Riverdale. She is portrayed by Camila Mendes. Veronica is a student at Riverdale High School. In addition, she is the leader of the band Veronica and the Pussycats and a member of the River Vixens. She moved from New York to her mother's hometown of Riverdale due to her father's arrest and subsequent incarceration. She struggles to find the truth behind her father's loyalties and intentions, as she fears what will happen once he is released from prison and back home with them. Meanwhile, she's also trying to reform herself into a better person. She is currently in a relationship with Archie Andrews. Ever since Mr. Andrews was shot, Veronica has looked at her parents as prime suspects. As she looks upon both her mother and father as criminals based on her past experiences with them both. Accusing them of hiring a hit man on Fred, due to his refusal of selling his shares of the company upon Hermione's request. With the discovery of her parents's secret purchase of Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe, Veronica was able persuade them into granting her a more involved role in Lodge Industries. Not long after being accepted into her father's inner circle, Veronica would soon realize the truth behind his true intentions for Riverdale and how he handled his business deals. His actions later went on to effect how people viewed Veronica as she had lied to many of them. Determined to make up for her father's wrongdoings, Veronica attempted to stop his monopolizing of the Southside. She did this by purchasing the Whyte Wyrm and later using it to cut a deal with her father for the Chock'lit Shoppe in exchange. Hiram agreed to make the exchange, but as a result of this, he also stripped Veronica of all her duties in regards to Lodge Industries, as well as cutting her off completely from using his money. Veronica grew up in New York with her wealthy parents, Hiram and Hermione Lodge. She lived a life of luxury and privilege, and she attended The Spence School where she was a cheerleader and a bully. She also was a heavy partier and partied with Nick St. Clair, and often did drugs with him. However, this all changed when her father was convicted of fraud and embezzlement. He was sent to jail, and Veronica and her mother were depleted of their fortune and subjected to malicious gossip. Veronica was accused of being nothing more than a spoiled, icy socialite, which affected her greatly as she realized it was true. She and her mother left New York for Riverdale to start a new life, with Veronica determined to change her ways.

It's a secret to no one that Veronica was a mean girl back in New York. While she may have changed her ways, that does not negate all the harm she has done in the past, which she uses as a constant reminder to help her stay on that narrow path of good and right. One year ago, while Veronica was attending Spence, she and her best friend at the time, Katy, tormented a classmate named Paige. The only motive for their bullying was the fact that Paige was a misfit and they were "class A brutal bitches". By December, Paige could no longer take the bullying, so she transferred schools and went into therapy. Veronica's guilt over this incident and other similar occurrences are what inspires her to be a kinder person who is loyal and protective of her friends.