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Recently, the CBS soap opera’s Head Writer and Creator, Michele Val Jean, explained the reason behind the diner’s name and its significance. See below for the full story.
Michele Val Jean Heartfelt Tribute
Val Jean hopped on the social media platform X and posted two photos of a woman, with the caption, “Orphey Gene aka Mommy. #BeyondTheGates #BTG I miss you so, but you live on.”
Orphey Gene certainly does live on, as the establishment is mentioned almost daily! What a beautiful tribute to Val Jean’s mother, who was named Orphey Gene!
Michele Val Jean has worked tirelessly to bring her dream of creating a Black-centric soap alive for years, and now it’s clear that a little piece of her heart is shown to viewers daily, as she’s named the diner hot spot after her mom.
Orphey Gene aka Mommy. #BeyondTheGates #BTG I miss you so but you live on ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Vz7nmMcp7j
— Michele Val Jean (@MicheleValJean) November 17, 2025
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The Local Establishment Is Where It’s At
The Fairmont Crest Country Club is exclusively for members who live in the gated community, and Uptown is the funky bar on the show for the younger crowd of characters; however, everyone is welcome at Orphey Genes, and a lot of tender and dramatic moments have taken place in the restaurant, so far.
From Nicole Dupree (Daphnee Duplaix) lunging at and choking Leslie Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) during a major confrontation to the day Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis) renting out the establishment solely for Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) so they could share a quiet and uninterrupted meal; the diner has served up plenty of memories for fans already, even though the daytime drama is not even one-year old yet.
What BTG storyline are you most invested in? Comment below! Watch the CBS soap daily for all the Fairmont Crest drama and visit CTS regularly for the hottest Beyond the Gates news, updates, and spoilers.
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