Ricardo Mendes

Dr. Ricardo Mendes is a fictional character of the German soap opera Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love). The character is introduced by Daniel Sellier on June 21, 2011.

Ricardo comes from a wealthy Spanish dynasty of doctors. As he meets a pregnant Julia von Anstetten, he starts to fall for her and the two eventually marry. Ricardo becomes a father to Julia's son Timo and the little family seems to live the perfect life for years. But Julia's past is coming back to haunt her as Ricardo raises questions about Julia's complicated relationship with her father Arno. Even though not telling him what happened, Julia is willing to give her father another chance and invites him to their family home. Timo, who has grown into a teenager, starts asking his grandfather questions and wants to know more about his family. Julia warns Arno about keeping the past a secret to not threaten her new life with Ricardo and Timo. However, when Julia's mother Clarissa is mentioned, Julia tells Ricardo that she had to suffer for years over her manipulations and that she's been dead for years, therefore wants the past buried. It comes to a shock for all of them as Clarissa turns up alive and wants Julia's forgiveness. Clarissa promises that she's changed, but Ricardo sees right through her and warns his mother-in-law to not cause trouble for the people he cares about.

Clarissa plans on controlling Ricardo since he's the only one who seems to give her a hard time. As Ricardo finds out that Julia has a twin-brother, Jan Brandner, who Clarissa kept a secret for the first twenty years of Julia's life, Ricardo is distrustful towards Clarissa more than ever. Clarissa feels that Ricardo is threaten her plan of a happy family and assigns the Mendes' maid to seduce Ricardo. Her plan works after Ricardo sees that Julia and Jan seem incredibly close and he feels more and more left out. In the end, Ricardo has to wonder about Julia and Jan's feelings for one another and later has to realize that the two of them are in love with each other. Clarissa wants Ricardo to hold on to his marriage with Julia, while she also blackmails him into letting Jan stay. As Ricardo is away on a congress, Julia and Jan once again have to face what they really feel and Jan decides to leave anyway. But when Julia wants to say goodbye, they lean in for a kiss and end up in bed together. Timo discovers the two and tells Ricardo about Julia's betrayal after his return. Ricardo is outraged and tells Jan how much he hates him for breaking up his family. Eventually, even though she believes she has no future with Jan, Julia ends her marriage to Ricardo. A heartbroken Ricardo leaves, telling Arno to protect his daughter from Clarissa's influence.