""You promise you won't forget me?" |
The relationship between J.T. Yorke and Liberty Van Zandt is known as Jiberty (J.T./Liberty). It began in Season 4 of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Overview[]
They started their first relationship in Voices Carry (2). The relationship ended in Foolin' because J.T. thought that Liberty was too controlling once she found out she was pregnant. Their second relationship started in Turned Out (1), then ended in Turned Out (2) because J.T. tried committing suicide. J.T. still promises Liberty he will always be there for her and that he is not going to give up on her. Though the two tried to convince themselves that they had gotten over each other, they remained in love with each other until J.T.'s tragic death.
Friendship History[]
Season 1[]
In Family Politics, J.T. and Liberty talk outside their homeroom class. It seems as though Liberty is interested in befriending J.T. (which she somewhat does, later on.) She was running for student council secretary, and was an avid supporter of Ashley Kerwin in her bid for presidency. She mentioned she wouldn't be caught dead voting for Grade 7 J.T., though she also promised to work closely with J.T. if he were to win to "ensure excellent standards of student government."
In Secrets and Lies, it is revealed that Liberty is romantically interested in J.T. Having saved him from getting in trouble with Mr. Simpson by taking the blame for a paper airplane that J.T. threw across the classroom, her crush becomes obvious to Emma Nelson, Manny Santos and Toby Isaacs. J.T. denies it for a little while until it becomes obvious to him as well. However, he doesn't return any such feelings for Liberty. For some reason, he lacks the courage to tell her upfront that he is not interested in her, so he behaves in several different obnoxious ways in hopes that she would just "get the hint." Still, nothing J.T. tries seem to be working, so once he hears from Toby that his stepsister's father is gay, it gives him the idea to lie to Liberty by telling her that he is a homosexual or gay. Much to Toby's hesitation at the idea, J.T. goes through with it. Though clearly upset by the "revelation," Liberty agrees to keep it a secret. J.T. drives it home when he flamboyantly shows off his gayness to her (with an awkward Toby sitting by) in the Media Immersion lab. Liberty leaves in a huff. J.T. is relieved until Liberty surprises him at his locker and suddenly encourages him to allow her to conduct an interview with him for the Grapevine, the Degrassi newspaper, where he can come out of the closet and be an inspiration to all students who may be struggling with coming to terms with their sexuality. Of course, J.T. is unwilling to do that, so he finally confesses to Liberty that he was lying and he only pretended to be gay because he wasn't interested in her. As a result, Liberty is hurt and disappointed in J.T. for not telling her the truth from the start, asking him if she was really that horrible. However, her crush on him continues to linger for the next few years.
In Basketball Diaries, J.T. watches the morning announcements and comments to his homeroom class that Ashley's joke wasn't bad. Liberty interjects that it was her joke that she wrote in after she found it on the net. Emma says Ashley gets all the credit for all the work Liberty does and that she should talk to her. After Liberty talks Ashley into letting her on, she gets on the announcements, and she realizes she is on as she's doing a warm up, J.T. laughs and says she's doing a great job.
In Rumours and Reputations, a rumor is going around about Liberty and Coach Armstrong. J.T. laughs when, in class, Coach Armstrong asks Liberty to answer a question since they've been working on it together. Liberty knows the rumor is spreading, whereas Armstrong doesn't yet and she is embarrassed when the whole class joins in on the laughing.
In Wannabe, Liberty, Toby, J.T. and Spinner Mason teamed up together to win $1,000,000 via a Pringles chip can contest and proceeded to buy expensive items thinking they would soon be in the budget for $1,000,000. In the end, even though the group thought J.T. had Pringles cans of the two needed symbols, he had two of the same ones, thus losing the contest. Spinner calls all of three of them (especially J.T.) losers and walks away. Frustrated at his silliness, Liberty and Toby shove J.T. into his locker and shut it.
In Under Pressure, J.T. complains that the media immersion test is going to be hard and Liberty says he should try studying. Soon after, Liberty displays her readiness for the test to Mr. Simpson in front of J.T. and Toby. J.T. and Toby get ready to take notes, as she's asking about what will be covered on the test, but when she says to get an A+ in the class she thinks she has to make 92.48% on the test, they roll their eyes and walk away.
In Jagged Little Pill, the media immersion class bonds as they show a clip to Mr. Simpson. Liberty and J.T. watch the monitor next to each other.
Season 2[]
In When Doves Cry (1), Liberty pushes past J.T. and Toby. J.T. makes a face and tells her to slow down.
In Karma Chameleon, Liberty asks J.T. and Emma if her look works for Picture Day. J.T. just nods at her and looks down at his own attire and Emma says she looks great.
In Shout (2), after J.T. mentions that his quest for a woman is not over, Toby says he should go for Liberty. J.T. looks at Liberty and shudders. J.T. is teased by his peers when Liberty presents her media immersion class project; a tribute to J.T. as an expression of her admiration for him. Toby had given Liberty old, embarrassing photos of J.T. as a young child, which she uses in her presentation. So, J.T. confronts Liberty and they commence to argue, calling each other names back and forth. Angered, Liberty vandalizes J.T.'s locker with a marker and storms off, leaving him to be punished by Principal Raditch. Ashamed of her impulsive actions, Liberty saves J.T. from getting in trouble by admitting to the principal that she was, in fact, the one who defaced his locker. So, she is consequently punished with janitor duty. Much to Liberty's delight, however, J.T. commends her for doing the right thing.
In Don't Believe the Hype, Liberty is amazed by J.T.'s natural sewing talent, something she lacks. However, J.T. is embarrassed because Toby and Sean Cameron believe that sewing is only for girls. So, he decides that he'd rather claim Liberty's poorly done work and allow her to receive an excellent grade by taking credit for his outstanding work. Later that day, Liberty tells J.T. she got assigned a hard project due to her doing so well on the last one. J.T. says it's a piece of cake and concedes to do it after prodding from Liberty. The next day, Liberty watches J.T.'s work and is impressed by his skill. She says he must like it but he says since his mom's a seamstress, he grew up doing it. Soon after, Liberty says he should be proud and should hide but he refuses. Later, their teacher applauds the skirt that she was wearing, completely unaware that it was actually created by J.T. When Liberty finally tells the truth, the teacher is disappointed and the students (specifically Sean and Toby) taunt J.T. However, Sean and Toby are shut down when Manny, Emma, and a few other girls offer to pay J.T. to create skirts for them similar to the one he made for Liberty.
In Hot for Teacher, Toby says J.T. has a new girlfriend. Emma asks if it's Liberty "finally" and J.T. defensively says no.
In Relax, Liberty tells J.T. to work the scoreboard during her team's hockey game against the boys to which he says "Aye, Captain."
In Fight For Your Right, J.T. gives Liberty a look after they see Emma talking back to Mr. Simpson.
In Tears Are Not Enough (1), J.T. looks at Liberty during a test, hoping to get some answers. She covers her test with her hand before finishing and shooting him a triumphant smile. J.T. then approaches Liberty for tutoring so he can pass his final exam. She only agrees to do it under the condition that he takes her as his date to the year-end dance. Disappointed that he lost his chance to ask his longtime crush, Paige Michalchuk, to the dance, J.T. unwillingly agrees to be Liberty's date in exchange for tutoring.
In Tears Are Not Enough (2), J.T. and Liberty are seen having a good time together, both raising a coconut glass in toast and slow dancing.
Season 3[]
In U Got the Look, Liberty tells J.T. to "shhh" while he talks to Manny during a video in class.
In Gangsta Gangsta, Toby reveals to a table of students in the cafeteria that J.T. had a wet dream about Liberty as he sees J.T.'s sudden popularity as a threat to their friendship. Although J.T.'s erotic dream about Liberty could easily be dismissed as a result of puberty and hormonal changes, it could also possibly suggest that he is subconsciously in love with Liberty, thus foreshadowing an inevitable romance between the two of them in the future.
In Accidents Will Happen (2), J.T. is relieved when Mr. Perino pairs Liberty with Sean for a project. Later, Liberty jokes with J.T. and holds her hand out to him when he falls off his skateboard. Liberty uses the opportunity to ask J.T. out to the Three Stooges film festival that night only to be rejected yet again; only this time, J.T. is a lot more cold and blunt than he's ever been before. At first, Liberty believes that J.T. is only rejecting him because she knows that he has been harboring feelings for Manny since the beginning of the school year. When J.T. dismisses her again, Liberty is hurt until her interest shifts from J.T. to her new partner for a class project, Sean Cameron. She goes as far as dressing like a greaser girl to win his affections. Taking J.T.'s advice on how to handle Liberty, Sean rejects her with equal firmness and bluntness. Once again, Liberty is discouraged until Sean introduces her to his friend Towerz, who eventually becomes Liberty's boyfriend.
In Our House, Liberty asks J.T. if he's going to the semi-formal. J.T. asks if she's propositioning him, but Liberty is seemingly happy in her relationship with Towerz and as a result, is confident enough to encourage J.T. (her longtime crush) to ask Manny to be his date to the semi-formal. J.T. insists that Manny isn't interested in him, but Liberty assures him that she is. Later, in class, Liberty hints to Manny that J.T. will ask her to the formal.
Season 4[]
In Mercy Street, a newly single Liberty is getting closer to J.T. than either of them are aware of. She invites him over to her house along with Manny and Toby to hang out and relax in her hot tub. By this time, J.T. is good friends with Liberty's younger brother, Danny Van Zandt. She ends up convincing Manny that she should break up with J.T. because of her disinterest in him.
Relationship History[]
Season 4[]
In Voices Carry (1) and (2), following the tragic events of Time Stands Still (2), J.T. and Liberty bond as they work together to bring to life the school play 'Dracula', inspired by the devastating shooting that took place recently at Degrassi. They are displeased, however, when Mr. Raditch expresses clear opposition to the idea and suggests that they create a positive, cheery musical instead. J.T. is just about ready to give up when Liberty invites him to her house one night to brainstorm ideas. Alone in the hot tub together, J.T. and Liberty's bond strengthens even more when they come up with a song of rebellion to show Mr. Raditch how unreasonable he is being. The next day, however, J.T. loses confidence and decides to sing a happy song instead to avoid upsetting the principal. Disappointed, Liberty sings their rebellion song to Mr. Raditch in an effort to get her point across which ultimately lands both her and J.T. in detention. While serving detention, J.T. praises Liberty for her bravery and she smiles in return. Finally realizing that the romantic feeling was mutual, J.T. and Liberty share their first kiss and begin a relationship.
In Secret (1) and (2), J.T. and Liberty's Dracula play is in effect as new principal, Ms. Hatzilakos, granted them her approval. The two of them briefly bicker with each other when J.T. fires Darcy Edwards as the lead female of their play. Liberty feels uneasy and hesitant when J.T. replaces Darcy with Emma, who is still traumatized by the school shooting. Despite Emma's trauma and her recent involvement in an outbreak of gonorrhea at Degrassi, J.T. and Liberty are relieved when their play turns out to be a success.
In Eye of the Tiger, Danny is uncomfortable with the fact that his best friend and sister are dating as it becomes obvious that J.T. would much rather spend more time with Liberty than with him. So, he purposely and spitefully fails to give J.T. and Liberty a signal that their father was home, thus, allowing Mr. Van Zandt to catch them kissing in the hot tub and kick J.T. out of the house. When Danny's jealousy leads to a physical fight between himself and J.T., Liberty is furious at them both. She was upset with J.T. for badly hurting Danny and she was equally upset with Danny because she was aware that he purposely tried to ruin their relationship. Realizing how wrong he was, Danny invites J.T. over the next morning before school to patch things up with Liberty. He even covers for them by distracting their father while J.T. and Liberty kiss and reconcile.
Season 5[]
In Foolin', Liberty is stressed because of her obligations as the new student council president and a shocking secret that she's been hiding for over three months. Annoyed with J.T.'s immaturity and silly ways, Liberty becomes increasingly controlling and hostile towards him. The tension temporarily decreases between the two of them when Liberty agrees to go to the movies with J.T., Toby, Emma and Manny in an effort to get Liberty to relax and have fun. However, the fun is short-lived when Liberty overhears J.T. bragging to
Toby about their sex life. Angry, Liberty pours a cup of soda down J.T.'s pants and leaves. While driving to school the following day, the two of them argue about J.T.'s immaturity and Liberty's controlling ways. Suddenly, Liberty reveals that she's pregnant, causing a stunned J.T. to crash his car. Later on, her pregnancy is confirmed via pregnancy test. However, tension continues to rise as Liberty continues to be condescending to J.T. and dismiss his pleas to see a doctor. Finally, J.T. is fed up and he breaks up with her. However, he gets a job at a pharmacy and vows not to abandon their unborn child.
In I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, J.T. and a six-month pregnant Liberty continue to argue. J.T. is freaked out and Liberty is in denial and upset that J.T. hasn't done research. Later, Danny, who's been taking child-rearing classes, and while reading a book primarily on pregnancy, he looks at his sister and recognizes her mannerism's are structured the way a pregnant lady would stand, and he puts it together; the throwing up, the hostility, the stress... his sister is pregnant, and he attacks J.T. He threatens to tell his parents that Liberty is pregnant if J.T. doesn't agree to help him take care of a baby doll for a class grade. Even when the project fails, Danny decides to keep his friend and sister's secret. J.T. and Liberty ultimately decide to speak to Ms. Sauvé for guidance. In Turned Out (1), Liberty and J.T. meet with the guidance counselor as discussed, but they can't agree on the future of their baby. Liberty wants to raise it, but J.T. wants to put it up for adoption. Despite opposing opinions on the matter, J.T. accompanies Liberty to a doctor's appointment for an ultrasound and holds her hand the entire time as he watches their unborn baby on a screen. They're both relieved to know that their baby is healthy and Liberty even agrees to put it up for adoption if that's what J.T. wants. Although she wants to keep their baby, she tells J.T. that she loves him and she's fine with whatever he wants to do. The two of them happily reconcile when J.T. suddenly decides that he wants to keep their baby. When J.T. and Liberty inform his grandmother of the
pregnancy, she scolds J.T. and lectures him about the seriousness of becoming a parent. However, J.T. insists that he would never abandon his child the way his own father abandoned him. J.T. decides to quit his TV job and take more shifts at the pharmacy. He wants to find an apartment for him and Liberty to raise their child in. When they found a place that they liked, they realized that they couldn't afford it. However, when Jay Hogart advises J.T. to steal oxycodone from his job and sell it. J.T. is against the idea at first until he realizes that he could afford to pay rent with some extra earned cash on the side.
In Turned Out (2), Jay introduces J.T. to a drug dealer that he's friends with where J.T. conducts his first drug deal. Jay collects a small percentage of J.T.'s earnings, but J.T. still has enough cash to finance the apartment that he wants. The trouble is, the drug dealer has given J.T. an advance payment for another score of oxycodone and there was no way that he could tell Liberty how he really came up with the money for their apartment. Instead, he makes up a lie that his grandmother gave it to him. When J.T. and Liberty announce to her parents that they're expecting a baby and moving in together, they are furious, especially her father. Mr. Van Zandt agrees to help his daughter through her pregnancy as long as she gets rid of J.T. However, Liberty stands up for her boyfriend and they leave. Things suddenly get bad when J.T.'s boss asks him if he knows anything about the missing drugs from the pharmacy and J.T. replies 'no'. Liberty, however, is suspicious and she demands to know the truth. When J.T. confesses, she hits him with her backpack and berates him for being so thoughtless. J.T. is assaulted by the man he sold the drugs to when he tries to get them back from him.
To make matters worse, the rent money for the apartment was nonrefundable. Desperate and at his wits end, J.T. begs Toby to dip into his bonds and loan him the money that he needed. When Toby refuses, J.T. insults him. Toby angrily tells J.T. to stay away from him. So, J.T. is forced to steal from his job again. When Liberty finds out, she's angry and she breaks up with him. Having lost everything important to him, J.T. attends a party at the ravine and bitterly gives the drug dealer the stolen oxycodone and keeps a handful to himself. He tries to commit suicide by overdosing on the drugs but he is saved when Jay calls an ambulance for him. Later on, Liberty visits J.T. at the hospital along with his grandmother and her parents. She is extremely upset with him for what he tried to do. J.T. tried to apologize but he is devastated when Liberty regretfully decides to put the baby up for adoption.
In Together Forever, Liberty still refuses to speak to J.T. after the break-up. She is getting closer to her due date but she doesn't let it stop her from working hard. She's determined to tend to her presidential duties even when J.T. and Ms. Hatzilakos express deep concern for her health. Toby is driving Liberty to an assembly when his advice for her is ignored and dismissed. Shortly after his car breaks down, Liberty suddenly goes into labor and Toby calls an ambulance. Later on at the hospital, Liberty is seen holding her newborn baby boy in her arms after giving birth. J.T. briefly had a chance to see his son before he was taken away by the adoption agency.
In Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Liberty is feeling depressed and it's affecting her academic performance, which begins to worry her parents. She's feeling a sense of loss when she learns that the family that adopted her baby is moving away. She feels even more miserable when she gets drunk one night while her parents were out. At the end of an exam, J.T. wonders how she finished so early. Liberty gets up and says that it's maybe because she never started and throws her test on the teacher's desk. She later gets some consolation from Danny's new friend Derek Haig who was also adopted as a baby and given a treasure chest (a box of sentimental possessions) from his birth mother. So, Liberty gets an idea from Derek to put together a treasure chest for her baby, which J.T., Danny and Derek all add to, showing that they care. She and J.T. appear to be on speaking terms again as they are seen smiling at each other while adding their prize possessions to their son's box.
In High Fidelity (2), J.T. and Liberty are standing next to one another in the back of the auditorium and even dance together.
Season 6[]
In Eyes Without a Face (1), J.T. and Toby are having a conversation where Liberty's name is mentioned. Toby implies that J.T. still hasn't gotten over her since he keeps talking about her. Still, J.T. claims that he's over Liberty, especially when a new student (and teenage mother), Mia Jones, catches his eye. Mia recognizes J.T. from the children's TV program he used to work on, which her young daughter happens to be a fan of. When sparks start to fly between J.T. and Mia, it inspires him to get his old job back. However, J.T. begins to feel anxious and hesitant about pursuing Mia when he sees Liberty staring at them from afar. He invites Mia and her daughter Isabella Jones to a taping of his television job, which both of them enjoy. Mia proceeds to ask J.T. out on a date which leaves him speechless. Mia interprets his lack of a response as rejection. While Liberty and J.T. are talking at school the next day, Mia interrupts them to confront J.T. Liberty respectfully steps away but she overhears J.T.'s entire conversation with Mia. Mia believes that J.T. rejected her due to the fact that she's a teenage mother but J.T. assures her that he's truly interested in her and he also loves children. Although he doesn't explain this to Mia, it is obvious that J.T. was unwillingly to move on at first because he's still not over Liberty. Evidently, the feeling is mutual because when J.T. offers to take both Mia and Isabella out for ice cream, Liberty's facial expression says it all; she's heartbroken.
In What's It Feel Like to Be a Ghost? (1), Liberty is still angry about seeing her ex-boyfriend in a relationship with someone else. The fact that J.T. appears to be bonding with Mia's daughter added to Liberty's hurt since she had given their baby up for adoption the previous school year. One afternoon after school, Liberty sees Mia sitting alone at a table at The Dot, waiting for J.T. to arrive. Liberty takes that opportunity to talk to Mia and tell her everything about her past with J.T. such as the pregnancy, J.T.'s drug dealings and putting their son up for adoption. Mia is angry because J.T. failed to tell her any of this, so she storms out of The Dot which is exactly what Liberty aimed to accomplish. However, J.T. and Mia make up the next day at school when he explains his side of the story and apologizes for keeping his past a secret from her. While Liberty is conducting a student council meeting, she upsets both J.T. and Mia when she jealously denies J.T.'s pitch to open an on-site daycare at Degrassi for students with young children. When J.T. gives Liberty a piece of his mind, she walks out of the meeting in anger. Still, he isn't done with her as he confronts her the next day to tell her how wrong she was. Liberty calls J.T. ridiculous and immature to which he responds that she is determined to make his life as miserable as hers and that it clearly burns her to see him happy. Shortly after this incident, the rivalry between Degrassi and Lakehurst reaches new heights and J.T. finds himself in the center of this brewing feud.
In Rock This Town, it is Liberty's birthday and she holds another student council meeting with the Lakehurst student council president Damian Hayes, in an attempt to inspire peace between their warring schools. Meanwhile, Manny, who was still hurt over her final breakup with Craig Manning, was planning a party at Emma's house, disguised as a birthday party for Liberty (as suggested by J.T.) to help get her mind off of it while Spike and Mr. Simpson are away for the weekend. She even tries to play matchmaker with Liberty and Damian but the former is still stuck on J.T. and the latter is more interested in Manny. Mia happens to be away for the weekend as well, so Liberty is happy when she learns that her birthday party was J.T.'s idea and he simply wanted to do something to make her smile for a change. Later that night at Emma's residence, the party becomes crowded with more guests than originally intended, including two unwelcome students from Lakehurst, Johnny DiMarco and Drake Lempkey; both of them are thrown out of the house by Spinner and Jay when they begin to cause trouble.
Sometime during the party, J.T. and Liberty have a sentimental moment alone together where they reminisce about old times. Liberty also takes this moment to confess that she was still in love with him. When J.T.'s too stunned to respond with anything more than a "wow," Liberty is upset and she tries to walk away. J.T. desperately tries to talk to her, but Liberty doesn't want to hear it. He claims that he has a girlfriend and he loves her, though it doesn't seem very convincing. Still, Liberty calls him a coward and leaves. A few minutes later, J.T. is having a conversation with Toby; he admits that although he really cares about Mia, he still has feelings for Liberty. So, Toby advises him to be honest with himself and both girls involved. Realizing that Toby was right, J.T. decides to go after Liberty.
As he heads to his car, he sees Johnny urinating on it with Drake Lempkey standing close by. J.T. makes a sarcastic remark which sends a drunken Drake over the edge. Without warning, he rushes behind J.T. and viciously stabbed him in the back with a pocket knife. Wounded and shocked, J.T. slowly drops to the ground, bleeding profusely from his back. Unlike Drake, Johnny shows instant regret as he stares in terror at what his friend has done. Seconds after Drake and Johnny run away, Liberty appears and she rushes to J.T.'s side, desperately trying to get him up. She panicked and screamed for help as she held J.T. in her arms.
Later on at the hospital, Liberty, Toby, Emma, Manny, Sean, and Damian are all at the waiting, worried and anxious. Damian and Liberty are telling a couple of detectives what they've witnessed, Sean is consoling a tearful Manny who feels guilty for throwing the party in the first place and Emma is on the phone with her mother, letting her know that J.T. is hurt and she's extremely sorry for breaking the 'no parties' rule. J.T.'s grandmother is on her way but she's hours away, so Toby pretends to be J.T.'s brother in order to be informed of his condition. Alas, the doctor tells Toby that his aorta was punctured beyond repair and as a result, J.T. Yorke is gone. Soon after Liberty asks Toby what the doctor said urging him to tell her. Toby, Emma, Manny and Sean are all instantly devastated as they form a group hug around Liberty, who is in a deep state of shock.
In The Bitterest Pill, Liberty and other friends and relatives pay their final respects to J.T. Yorke at his funeral. It is revealed that Drake Lempkey was taken to jail for murder. While everyone else is mourning, they are also extremely concerned about Liberty and her silence. Although she hasn't cried yet she is clearly in pain and she doesn't want to talk to anyone. However, Toby goes out his way to comfort Liberty and to be there for her, especially when she believes that Mia is the one that J.T. was truly in love with. Problems arise back at school when Mia asks Toby if J.T. mentioned her at all before he died. Toby tells her that all they talked about was oatmeal; Mia walks away, confused. Manny happens to overhear their conversation and she demands to know if 'oatmeal' is what he and J.T. really talked about. She feels bad when Toby tells her that J.T. meant Liberty when he said 'oatmeal'. With that, Manny advises Toby not to tell Liberty anything as she is still in shock. Later on, Liberty, Toby, and Mia are about to clean out J.T.'s locker when Mia finds a videotape of J.T. playing with Isabella. She wants to play it at the memorial that was to held in honour of J.T. in the Degrassi auditorium. However, Liberty insists that the video tape should be something private between Mia and her daughter, which leads to an argument. Mia feels sad that she didn't get the chance to say goodbye to her boyfriend before he died and she hurtfully accuses Liberty of not being affected by J.T.'s death, calling her a 'walking, talking computer' with no emotion whatsoever. When Liberty storms off in anger, Toby is also angry and he tells Mia that they are not going to clean out J.T.'s locker until they're ready.
Toby catches up to Liberty outside and offers to take her out on a small road trip to get their minds off of their tragic loss and all of the drama surrounding it. Liberty accepts and she rides with Toby until the car breaks down. Toby is frustrated at first until he realizes that Liberty is laughing for once. This leads to a brief romantic moment between Liberty and Toby, including a kiss. Manny and Danny are both disappointed in Toby as they believe that Liberty is too vulnerable at this point and she still hasn't fully accepted that J.T. is gone. Despite his growing feelings for Liberty, Toby tries to convince her to forget about the kiss but Liberty insists that it isn't necessary. As the students and faculty gather together in the auditorium for the J.T. Yorke Memorial, Mia begs Toby to play the tape but he respects Liberty's wishes not to. Mia argues back that J.T. said he couldn't even stand Liberty. Without thinking, Toby lets it slip that J.T. told him the exact opposite before he died which is that he was still in love with Liberty. Mia is hurt; as she walks away, she runs into Liberty who overheard the entire conversation. Liberty finally agrees to let the tape be played at the memorial, so Mia hands it to her and leaves.
Liberty is furious with Toby for not telling her the truth about how J.T. felt, knowing that it is the most important thing in the world for her to know. Toby apologetically tells Liberty that he was only trying to protect her and he also developed feelings for her, but accepts that it will never happen. Liberty responds, "Well, I wish I had J.T., but that'll never happen either." After Liberty hands the tape to Spinner and Peter Stone, who were conducting a video montage of J.T., she sadly watches the video of J.T. and Isabella having fun together at a playground. For the first time since his death, Liberty finally breaks into tears and cries her heart out for the love of her life. Later on, when Liberty, Mia and Toby are all seemingly calmer, they gather together at J.T.'s locker. Toby extends his apology to Mia but she admits that although she didn't want to accept the truth, she always knew that J.T. was still in love with Liberty. So, the three of them open his locker and commence to clean it out.
Mentions[]
In Don't You Want Me? (2), while dancing, Toby and Liberty talk about how J.T. would have never let Toby live it down that he won Ice King at the dance.
Season 7[]
In We Built This City, Manny, Emma, Liberty, and Toby after graduating, go to the J.T. Yorke memorial in the Degrassi Zen Garden, and they all smile and put a graduation hat on his memorial. Liberty flips the tassel and that is how the season ends.
Season 8[]
In Didn't We Almost Have It All, Liberty mentions that she had a boyfriend who was murdered (referring to J.T.), and he was the father of the baby that she gave up for adoption.
Degrassi Minis[]
In I Won't Forget, Liberty is in bed reading a book when she decides to go to sleep. She turns out the light and closes her book before settling down. J.T.'s voice is heard, and he asks her how the book was. She tells him that the book was alright, and rolls over to face him, saying that she hates how modern writers are hesitant to enthrall us with the deeper history of heroes. J.T. laughs saying he asked how the book was, not for a book report. Liberty apologizes and says it's hard not to get passionate about things. She tells him that is one thing they have in common, as when J.T. puts his mind to something, there is not much that can stop him. J.T. smiles and tells her that might be the nicest thing she has ever told him. Liberty tells him that it is true, though he might not always do the right thing, he always sees it through.
J.T. comments that he likes the times when they just lie there quietly, to which Liberty agrees. He says he can't wait until they live together and do this every night, and she is silent. Upon not receiving a response, J.T. asks Liberty what is wrong, but she tells him it is never going to happen since he died. He states that he is lying right beside her, and Liberty tells him it is not real, as he is just in her memories, which is all she has now. He asks if that means if he can't come back and visit, and she tells him he can come whenever he wants. J.T. asks her to promise to never forget him, and she responds, "How could I forget the great J.T. Yorke?". He then tells her that he needs to go and reaffirms with her that he will see her in his dreams. J.T. then acts as if he is getting out of the bed and disappears into the air. His voice is heard saying: "You know I love you?" Liberty, who has rolled back over, says, "I know, J.T."
In Six Months, it is exactly 6 months after the night when J.T. was murdered. Liberty brings flowers and a candle, placing them on the spot where J.T. was stabbed. Toby appears and calls her name, completely scaring her. She yells at him for sneaking up on her while she is mourning, and he apologizes, but says she should have called him so they could have done this together. Liberty says that she didn't think that anyone would remember, and she tells Toby that although it's been 6 months, his death still seems fresh. Mia appears, saying she feels that way as well, and tells Liberty that she doesn't know what finding him felt like, but it wouldn't have been easy.
Danny, Derek, Manny, and Emma appear, which surprises Liberty that they remembered. Paige also appears, laying flowers down by the candle. Paige tells the group that she hopes that they don't mind her presence, saying she was at school and couldn't come back for the funeral, but she had to come. Toby tells her J.T. would have been glad that she was there, and Paige tells everyone that he was a big part of her growing up, saying he'd become quite a man. She apologizes to Liberty, but Liberty tells her that she doesn't have to be because he was loved, which is what was important. Everyone walks away, but Danny turns back, and leaves J.T.'s penis pump by the candle and flowers.
In Back to Degrassi, Liberty sends Emma back in time to prevent J.T.'s death.
Timeline[]
- First Relationship:
- Start Up: Voices Carry (2) (412)
- Broke Up: Foolin' (504)
- Reason: J.T. was sick of her treating him badly.
- Second Relationship:
- Start Up: Turned Out (1) (507)
- Broke Up: Turned Out (2) (508)
- Reason: J.T. attempts suicide by overdosing on Oxycodone.
Rival Relationships[]
Trivia[]
- Jiberty was one of three couples to start in detention. The other two were Jimmy Brooks and Hazel Aden and Sean Cameron and Ellie Nash.
- Liberty is the second girlfriend of J.T.'s to be pregnant. However, she is the only one to be pregnant with his child. J.T.'s first girlfriend, Manny Santos, was briefly pregnant with Craig Manning's child, whereas his third girlfriend, Mia Jones, was also pregnant, but Lucas Valieri was the father.
- J.T. and Liberty were the first couple in Degrassi history to have a baby together and put it up for adoption. The second were K.C. and Jenna.
- J.T. and Liberty lost their virginities to each other.
- J.T. once pretended to be gay to get Liberty to stop pursuing him.
- J.T. was the only one to remember Liberty's birthday in Rock This Town; he was the one to pitch the idea to Manny and Emma for them to throw her a birthday party.
- In the episode Foolin', when J.T. finds out Liberty is pregnant, he crashes his car into a bus stop, and later on in the episode Toby crashes his toy car into a garbage can once J.T. breaks the news to him.
- Ironically, he told Liberty he'd never like her, and then told her he'd always love her.
- This is the first and only interracial couple to have a baby together.
- This is the second female African-Canadian character to have a relationship with a white male, the first being Clutch and Lucy Fernandez and later, K.C. Guthrie and Marisol Lewis.
- Liberty became pregnant because the condom slipped off while having sex with J.T. As it was mentioned that they used a "king sized" condom, which had slipped off, also making a reference to J.T.'s supposed small penis.
- They both made their first appearances in Season 1: J.T. in Mother and Child Reunion (1) and Liberty in Family Politics.
- They were both members of the Degrassi Drama Department.
- Liberty attended J.T.'s funeral and memorial service at Degrassi in The Bitterest Pill.
- They were both members of the Rooks & Knights Society.
- Liberty appeared in Kevin Smith's film Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh! while J.T. was a member of the film's crew.
- In Foolin', J.T. taught Liberty how to drive.
- J.T. and Liberty's first kiss would have been in Jagged Little Pill, but the scene where they kiss was cut. While thinking he is on ecstasy, J.T. comes up to Liberty who has just bored Terri MacGregor and other students away and asks if anyone's told her she's weird, which she finds rude. He then corrects the word "weird" to "weirdy original," which she finds flattering and responds that no one has. As she says he's original also, J.T. walks to stand next to her saying he "may regret this later but [he's] feelin' the love tonight. So..." He then plants a kiss on her cheek and she freezes for a second before returning with a quick kiss on the lips. In the same episode, a second scene of theirs was deleted following their kiss. In the second scene, J.T. and Liberty are dancing over to Toby. J.T., having just kissed Liberty, exclaims that "E is worth it's weight in gold" and tells Toby he will never guess what happened and proceeds to look at Liberty. Toby looks at the two of them and says "ew" before leaving. J.T. calls after him exclaiming, "what? Toby talk to me!"
Quotes[]
- J.T.: "Hey, Liberty, Girlfriend!" - Secrets and Lies
- Liberty: "J.T. Yorke just called me cool?"
J.T.: "Don't let it go to your head. See ya around, rebel." - Shout (2) - J.T.: "We'll be rebels"
Liberty: "Rebels who sing." - Voices Carry (1) - J.T.: "Forgive me, Libby Tibby, my ickle knobby wobby pumpkin head! Pwease!?" - Secret (1)
- J.T.: "I'm not going to abandon you, and I'm not going to abandon this baby."
Liberty: "I've never needed help on anything." - Foolin' - Liberty: "I still love you."
J.T.: "I have a girlfriend, Mia, who I really, really, like!"
Liberty: "Do you love her?!"
J.T.: "Yes of course I do."
Liberty: "Then why are you standing here talking to me?"
J.T.: "I don't know." - Rock This Town - J.T.: "You know I love you?"
Liberty: "I know, J.T." - I Won't Forget - Liberty: "I mean, when you put your mind to it, there's not much that can stop J.T. Yorke."
J.T.: "That might be the nicest thing you have ever said to me."
Liberty: "Well, it's true." - I Won't Forget