Deborah Helen "Deb" Lee (formerly Scott) is Nathan Scott's mother, Jamie and Lydia Scott's grandmother and the ex-wife of Dan Scott. Her marriage to her college sweetheart Dan is initially stable but becomes strained when Lucas and Karen become more involved in their lives. Her desperation to get Dan out of her and Nathan's life leads to a drastic change in her personality as she starts to take desperate action to free herself, including an attempt on Dan's life. Her fear of her ex-husband leads her to develop an addiction to prescription pills which, through the support of her family and friend Karen, she eventually beats. She returns to Tree Hill after a brief absence to become Jamie's nanny and, with Dan repenting for his crimes, she takes a more carefree and relaxed approach to life.