HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Sometime in May, CBS soap "The Bold And The Beautiful" will launch a lesbian romance plot, and TV Guide got the scoop.

Joanna Johnson, who plays Karen Spencer on the popular soap, will be coming out of the closet as a longtime lesbian who is happily married to newcomer Danielle. Crystal Chappell has been cast as Danielle, and her character debuts on May 16.

TV Guide spoke to executive producer-head writer Bradley Bell about the lesbian plot line.

TV Guide Magazine: Is this seriously the first gay-oriented story ever done in the 25-year history of a show set in the L.A. fashion industry? How can that be?

Bradley Bell: Can that really be true? I don't know, actually. I'm going to get my researcher on that. If there was something done in the past, it certainly wasn't anything huge.

TV Guide Magazine: Tell us about your decision to reveal this secret side of Karen.

Bell: Once we decided to bring Karen's daughter, Caroline, onto the show, the question naturally arose, "Who is the father? Why doesn't she seem to have one?" I started thinking about all the story possibilities and decided, "Why not give her two mothers?" Everyone on the show has a mother and father and that's getting a little dull. So I talked to Joanna Johnson and asked if she'd be okay with this story and she was very excited. When it came to casting Karen's partner, I thought immediately of Crystal Chappell. She was at the top of my list. I called her, she was interested, so here we are. She's a great actress and such a good kisser.

TV Guide Magazine: And you know she's a good kisser because...

Bell: Because I'm a big fan of her web series Venice.

TV Guide Magazine: Does this mean we'll actually see some lesbian lip locks on CBS Daytime?

Bell: Oh, sure! Absolutely.

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