What mental illness does Stephen's mom have in Tell Me Lies? Explained

Tell Me Lies started on Hulu on September 7, 2022. The show became so popular that it was renewed for a second season, which started on September 4, 2024. There are eight episodes in season 2. New episodes of the show will be added to Hulu every Wednesday at 12:00 a.m. ET, just like they do every week.

Meaghan Oppenheimer created the show, based on Carola Lovering's 2018 same-titled book. The complicated relationship between Stephen DeMarco and his mother Nora is one of the intriguing aspects of Tell Me Lies.

Nora has bipolar disorder that isn't being treated, which has had a big effect on Stephen's personality and choices. Due to her disorder, Nora can't take good care of her kids.

Katey Sagal's portrayal of Nora De Marco is manipulative, frequently skews reality and uses her kids as scapegoats. The official synopsis mentions:

"Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco quickly fall into an addictive entanglement that will permanently alter their lives and the lives of everyone around them; a tumultuous and intoxicating relationship unfolds over eight years."

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The plot of Tell Me Lies

The storyline of the series is about Lucy Albright's turbulent relationship with Stephen De Marco. Jackson White's charming, but the manipulative Stephen finds his way into Lucy's life during her first year of college.

Stephen's dark and regulating actions start to show as their relationship develops. His toxic traits — including narcissism and lack of regret — become more clear as he uses people around him to meet his own needs.

Nora DeMarco’s role

Portrayed by Katey Sagal, Nora DeMarco is a single mother of three who suffers from untreated bipolar disorder. Her condition causes her to exhibit manipulative behavior, distorting reality and placing the blame for her actions on her children.

Stephen suffers severe emotional damage from this pattern of abuse; his lack of empathy stems from his relationship with his mother.

Nora’s mental illness plays a significant role in the story. Throughout Tell Me Lies, her untreated bipolar illness causes dysfunction and strife inside the family. Stephen's own manipulative impulses are enhanced by Nora's toxic actions.

It's clear from viewers' growing familiarity with her character that the trauma caused by Stephen's mother is the reason he struggles to build decent relationships.

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Stephen DeMarco’s role

Stephen's conversations with Lucy and other people reveal his inability to create real emotional ties. Rather than seeing people as pawns in his game, he employs charm to keep control over them. Stephen's moral compass is distorted, and his lack of responsibility is underlined through the show.

His conflicted relationship with his family also helps define his personality more precisely. Stephen feels bitterness toward his father, as he believes that he caused the DUI that turned his life upside down. For context, Macy died in a car accident after Stephen DeMarco had crashed the car while drunk.

Stephen's mom in Tell Me Lies (Image via Hulu)

Seeing his brother's real relationship as bothersome and exhausting, he has no empathy for it. From the careless choices leading to Macy's death to his manipulative impulses, even at Bree's wedding, Stephen's inability to own his actions defines his character arc.

Stephen’s toxic tendencies are portrayed throughout the series, from his manipulation of Lucy to his strained relationship with his family. For those, who love to watch romantic drama, Tell Me Lies is currently streaming on Hulu.