Danielle Van de Kamp

"You're always mean to me, just like you were to dad. You emasculated him. Well, you're not gonna emasculate me."

Danielle Van de Kamp (previously Katz) is the daughter of Bree and Rex Van de Kamp. Although less problematic than her elder brother Andrew, Danielle is an asset to Bree’s journey of being a failed mother. She committed in relationships with her mother’s best friend’s love toy, a murderer, and her history teacher. Her secret affair with the bad boy in town left her pregnant, which her mother tried to cover up. Danielle then married a vegetarian lawyer and took back her son who was being raised by her mother and her second husband, Orson. Ultimately, Danielle’s divorce grew the latter closer to her mother, who then became the silent investor in Danielle’s newest erotic business.

Early Life
Danielle was born to Rex and Bree Van de Kamp in 1989, and moved to the town of Fairview in 1993. She grew up on Wisteria Lane with her parents, and older brother, Andrew Van de Kamp. As she got older, Danielle became more aware of her mother's perfectionist personality, and this led to her becoming frustrated and angry.

Season 1
"''Sweetheart, just because you give a boy sex doesn't mean you'll get love in return."

- Bree Van de Kamp

Danielle attends Mary Alice's wake after her suicide with her mother, father and brother. She is embarrassed when she sees Bree give Paul muffin baskets and asking for them to be returned later. During dinner at home, Danielle complains that they never eat "normal food" like normal families, so the family visit a fast food restaurant, much to Bree's displeasing. ("Pilot") After Rex leaves, Bree begins to overcompensate and she creates a large feast for just her and her children; Danielle is worried by this behavior. When Andrew goes missing, Bree tries to locate him, so she orders Danielle to call him on her cell phone. However, Andrew realizes his mother is responsible, so he asks Danielle to give her the phone. ("Who's That Woman?")

Danielle comes home with John Rowland, and they go upstairs to her room to study. Gabrielle and Juanita are at the house with Bree, and Gaby comments on them, but Bree says she doesn't have to worry about Danielle having sex with John because they're both in the abstinence club. ("Running to Stand Still") Gaby becomes jealous of Danielle's relationship with John, so she offers to pay for modelling school to get rid of her, but Bree declines the offer. Rex starts showering Danielle and Andrew with gifts, but Bree makes them decline them or they can't come home. Danielle gives in and returns her gifts. ("Anything You Can Do")

After Carlos's mother is hit by a car driven by a drunken Andrew, Danielle and her family visit Carlos and Gabrielle. Danielle tells Carlos that she included Juanita in her prayers. Later on, John breaks up with Gabrielle, stating he's sticking with Danielle. ("Guilty") After John breaks up with Danielle in class, Danielle comes home crying and her mother comforts her. She is asked by Bree where Andrew keeps his drugs when she suspects him of taking them. ("Suspicious Minds")

After her father, Rex, has a heart attack, Danielle visits him in the hospital with Bree and Andrew. After Bree announces that he won't be returning home with them, Danielle and Andrew get mad with her and they guilt their mother into allowing him to return. ("Move On")

When Bree finds a condom in the laundry hamper, and after crossing off Rex and Andrew from the list of suspects, everything begins to point to Danielle. Bree and Rex are shocked to find that it is Danielle's, and when asked why, she explains that she wanted to lose her virginity to John Rowland. Bree visits John and asks him too let Danielle down roughly, so she'll never talk to him again. ("Impossible")

When Carlos's mother, Juanita Solis, passes away, Danielle attends the funeral ceremony with her family. After Andrew is sent away to Camp Hennessey, Danielle notices his absence, but remains quiet about it. ("There Won't Be Trumpets") After Rex has a heart attack and Bree believes he is faking, Danielle insists she take him to the hospital because he is actually in pain. ("Goodbye for Now")

Season 2
"''When I was young, my step-mother told me that I was very lucky. I possessed beauty, wit, cunning and insight. These were weapons all women needed to survive in the world... So take good care of your looks, Danielle. You don't have any other weapons at your disposal."

- Bree Van de Kamp

When Danielle's grandmother comes to visit the family after Rex's passing, she is surprised to see her father owned a teddy bear. A while later, Danielle and Bree go to welcome their new neighbors, Betty and Matthew. When he announces his father is dead, Danielle sympathizes with him. After an argument with Bree, Phyllis is banned from attending the funeral, angering Danielle. Danielle later attends her father's funeral. ("Next") Days later, during dinner, Bree announces to Danielle and Andrew that the police dug up their fathers body because they think someone poisoned him. Bree explains she's a suspect, and Danielle says she knows, but is worried because she and Rex had problems so she may be accused. ("You'll Never Get Away From Me")

After Andrew and George had a fight, Bree invites everyone for a dinner so they can all learn to get along with each other. Danielle helps her mother clean up the dishes afterwards. ("My Heart Belongs to Daddy") After Caleb escapes from Betty's house, Betty and Matthew go searching for him. Matthew enters Bree's backyard to search for clues, but he runs into Danielle. He lies to her and says he wanted to ask her out, she says yes. ("Color and Light") Matthew and Danielle begin to bond when they talk together on a park bench instead of him searching for Caleb. ("The Sun Won't Set")

Bree finds Danielle hiding Matthew in her bedroom, so she takes them both to Betty to explain what is happening between them both; Betty is angry at Matthew. Danielle is found crying by Bree and she tells her she's ruining her life after Rex's death. This causes Bree to accept Danielle's relationship with Matthew and she visits Betty to ask for her blessing too. After Danielle finds out Bree saw Caleb, she tells Matthew, and they both tell each other their families secrets. ("There's Something About a War")

After finding out that Danielle and Matthew were making out in public and he had his hand down her blouse, Bree confronts her. Danielle wonders why Bree is talking to her after she betrayed her confidence. Bree asks what Caleb did to make Betty hide him. She says she doesn't know and suggests Bree finds out herself. Bree tells Danielle to care after her looks because she has no more strengths, such as wit, cunning and insight. ("Silly People") Later, during breakfast one day, Danielle silently judges her mother for becoming an alcoholic. ("Thank You So Much")

When Danielle comes home from her birthday party, she enters her bedroom to find Caleb hiding there. He tries to give her a present, but she is too freaked out and she tries to get him to leave. She then resorts to chasing him out the house, calling him a freak, upsetting him. ("Could I Leave You?") When Matthew suggests committing Caleb to a care home, Danielle tries to help him convince Betty. She doesn't agree at first, but when Caleb tries to kiss Danielle, it is seen as an attempted rape, so Betty reconsiders. ("It Wasn't Meant to Happen")

When Bree hosts a dinner party for her family, she invites her new boyfriend, Peter and Andrew's boyfriend, Justin, but not Matthew. This angers Danielle so she tries to mess with Peter by wearing a revealing outfit after discovering he's a sex addict. Her plan works and Peter leaves in a hurry. Later, Andrew tries to convince Danielle to sleep with Peter to get more revenge, but she refuses, calling Andrew a freak. ("I Know Things Now")

After Andrew is kicked out from home, Bree becomes overly quirky, concerning Danielle. When she tells her mother that she forgot her birthday, Bree makes it up to her by throwing a large party. However, Bree embarrasses Danielle at the party, so she runs away crying. Danielle attacks Betty and sets Matthew free from his cellar, as he'd been locked down there. They then run away together and she leaves her mother a note. ("No One is Alone") After running away together, Danielle and Matthew check into a hotel room. She complains about being hungry and even turns off the TV to kill his fun. This causes Matthew to remember about the night he killed Melanie Foster. ("Remember, Part 1")

They return to the lane to get Bree's money from her safe. They are able to break the safe and get their hands on the money. However, as they leave, Bree shows up, and warns her daughter that Matthew is a killer. Danielle is skeptical, but Bree won't let them leave, and, as a result, Matthew pulls out his gun and aims at Bree, threatening that he'll shoot her if she doesn't step aside. Danielle is horrified and begs him to stop. Matthew is gunned down by a police sniper, and Bree pulls Danielle to safety. Danielle cries out in horror as she witnesses her boyfriend die in front of her. ("Remember, Part 2")

Season 3
"''You hold on to your virginity. If Austin won't wait then he doesn't deserve you... It's better than losing your self respect. Take it from a girl who's known at school as 'Little Miss Van de Tramp'." Months later, Danielle attends her mother, Bree Van de Kamp, and Orson Hodge's wedding. ("It Takes Two") After discovering that Andrew is living on the streets due to being kicked out by Bree, Danielle blames her mother and tells her it is her fault why he's in his current situation. ("A Weekend in the Country") Danielle does a history project for her school on Fairview and Edward Sibley, the founder of Fairview. Bree later discovers that Danielle is sleeping with her teacher, Robert Falati. ("Like it Was")

Bree doesn't want Danielle to keep seeing her history teacher, but Danielle isn't willing to break it off, claiming that she and Mr. Falati are in love and he is getting divorced from his wife. Danielle overreacts to the situation and stages a suicide attempt. After Danielle is treated at the hospital, Bree comes up with a plan: get Danielle to move in with Robert, something that alarms him. When he breaks it off, Danielle makes sure his wife knows all about the affair so that he won't get a dime from his divorce settlement. ("Nice She Ain't")

When Carolyn Bigsby holds numerous people hostage at the supermarket, Danielle watches the news anxiously to hear if Julie, Lynette, Edie and Austin make it out safe. ("Bang") When Orson's mother, Gloria comes to stay at Bree's house, a dinner party is thrown to introduce Danielle and Andrew to their new grandmother. ("Children and Art") With Gloria living in their home, Danielle realizes that she's more than they could handle. ("Beautiful Girls")

Danielle becomes involved with bad boy Austin McCann, even though he is already seeing Julie Mayer. She gives Austin an ultimatum: either allow the affair to go on, or she will tell Julie, Austin decides to keep having the affair in order to keep Julie from knowing about the affair. ("No Fits, No Fights, No Feuds") Later, Danielle and Austin are caught having sex by Edie and Susan and their affair is revealed. ("Not While I'm Around")

Danielle opens her door to Mike Delfino, who's looking for Orson. She tells him he's at the hospital with Bree, after she fell off a ladder. Mike rushes off immediately and Danielle sarcastically tells him that her mother's fine "thanks for asking". ("I Remember That") Gloria gives Danielle some soup to give to Bree, but unknown to her, it is drugged. Gloria then offers to care for Bree so Danielle can go to Scavo Pizzeria. When she heads outside, she listens to her mp3 player, which stops her from hearing Alma Hodge fall off her roof as she escaped. ("The Little Things You Do Together")

Danielle discovers she is pregnant and it is believed by her family that Austin McCann is the father. Orson wants Austin to leave town, and he decides that Danielle will go somewhere else to give birth to the baby and then give it up for adoption; the cover story being that she is taking a semester abroad. ("My Husband, the Pig")

Season 4
"''I hate this baby! What has it done but make me fat and ruin an entire year of my life?" Orson informs Bree that Danielle had a fall due to her rollerblading. Bree is furious and tells the nuns caring for Danielle to restrict her to her room until the baby is born. ("The Game") Phyllis Van de Kamp learns that Danielle is going to be staying with her. ("If There's Anything I Can't Stand") Danielle goes to stay at Phyllis Van de Kamp's nursing home. Danielle wants to have the baby and bring up the child there. Bree seems unable to change her mind, until she decides to surpass Phyllis by allowing Danielle to attend the party-college in Miami and giving her a convertible. Danielle chooses the car over the baby and decided to give the baby to Bree. ("Art Isn't Easy")

Danielle attends a Halloween party hosted by Bob and Lee. She tells people that she is a clone of Bree. While Bree is yelling at her for coming she realizes that her water broke, so Danielle gives birth at home to a baby boy named Benjamin. Danielle agrees with Bree that giving her the newborn baby would be more solid and he would be more protected. The next morning, Danielle leaves Wisteria Lane, and moves to Miami to go to college. ("Now I Know, Don't Be Scared")

Time Jump
At some point, Danielle meets Leo Katz, a vegetarian lawyer. He teaches her a new way of life and Danielle also becomes a dedicated vegetarian. The two get married secretly and Danielle later reveals this to her mother.

Shortly after, Danielle returns to Wisteria Lane. She decides she wants to take her son, Benjamin, back off Bree so she and Leo can care for him themselves. Bree desperately tries to stop her. She begs and cries, explaining that she has been the one caring for Benjamin over the years. Danielle explains that if Bree takes her to court, Leo would help fight her case, and she would likely win. She then leaves the house in a sudden, leaving Bree to now live alone. ("You're Gonna Love Tomorrow")

Season 5
"''You gave him meat and then told him to lie?!"

Danielle eventually agrees to bring Benjamin and new husband, Leo, a lawyer, to visit Bree. The reunion is short lived, however, when Bree constantly criticizes the way Danielle is raising Benjamin (such as being vegetarians, home schooling, and practicing Judaism). Danielle is furious when she discovers her mother fed Benjamin meat and she departs early along with her family, leaving her relationship with her mother strained once again. ("Kids Ain't Like Everybody Else")

Season 6
"''Don't worry, I'm much better at keeping secrets than your daughter."

- Sam Allen

Danielle returns to meet her half-brother, Sam Allen, at Bree's dinner party after her mother called her and let her know about the situation. Like her mother, Danielle appears to get along fine with Sam and she is shocked by Andrew's behavior when he smashes their father's guitar. ("My Two Young Men") It is revealed near the end of the season that a drunken Danielle revealed to Sam that their brother, Andrew, ran over Juanita Solis, Carlos's mother, a decade earlier. ("The Ballad of Booth")

Season 7
"''What are you doing here?"

- Bree Van de Kamp

Danielle and Benjamin come over for surprise visit that'll last the whole weekend. Keith, Bree's new boyfriend is surprised to see Bree is a grandmother. Danielle meets Keith and he tells them they should be together since they flew from far, but she tells them to go out. Keith insists, nonetheless, claiming nothing trumps family. After he's gone, Danielle tells her mother she must've heard wrong, it seems as though she's bouncing back nicely. Bree is confused by this statement, so Danielle explains that one of her friends sent her to cheer Bree up. It is revealed this friend was Renee, and Bree realizes Danielle was sent to sabotage her relationship with Keith. ("The Thing That Counts is What's Inside")

Season 8
"''I promised you on your wedding day that I would be here when he left you."

- Bree Van de Kamp

Danielle returns to visit Bree with her son, Benjamin in tow and is revealed to be going through a divorce from her husband, Leo. After a few aimless days of watching TV go by, Bree confronts her daughter and inquires as to what she plans to do with her life now that she is single. Danielle confesses to her mother that she has an idea to go into business for herself, making exercise equipment to sell on internet. Bree is actually pleased to see Danielle taking initiative and offers her some money, as well as the use of her old test kitchen to get the business off the ground. What Bree doesn't know, however, is that Danielle is really making and selling sex swings under the moniker "Extacy Sex Swing", not exercise equipment. Once Bree finds out the true nature of Danielle's business, she is typically appauled and the two end up in a fight once again until Bree finally realizes just how critical she has always been with Danielle; the two make up, with Bree continuing to help finance Danielle's sex swing business from afar as a silent partner. ("School of Hard Knocks")

Trivia
Danielle Van de Kamp and Julie Mayer have many similarities:
 * In the fourth season, Danielle and Austin McCann were to come to get their son from Bree and Orson, however that idea was scrapped because of the writers’ revolt and the decline in the number of episodes of that season.
 * In School of Hard Knocks, Bree revealed to have attended Danielle and her then husband, Leo’s marriage, however in Season 5, it was revealed that Danielle had announced her rights on Benjamin and that she had married a successful lawyer. Also contradicting the statement, in Kids Ain't Like Everybody Else, it is revealed that it is the first time that Leo had met Bree and her second husband, Orson. However, it is possible that Danielle and Bree had a conversation via phone on the Wedding day.
 * Julie and Danielle, both have dyed their natural hair. Coincidentally, Danielle dyed her hair from blonde to brown, whereas Julie dyed her hair from brown to blonde. However, Julie has dyed her hair red as well.
 * Danielle and Julie share a boyfriend, Austin McCann, with whom they both have had sex.
 * Both Danielle and Julie have gotten pregnant by a meaningless hookup with a Wisteria Lane neighbour.
 * Julie and Danielle have both slept with a married man.
 * Julie and Danielle have Half-Brothers.
 * Both have an deceased father and a mother who has been married three times. However, Susan got married four times.
 * Both of them have appeared in each season.