▁was ▁first ▁introduced , ▁St ella ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁scatter bra ined ▁but ▁well - mean ing ▁character ▁who ▁lived ▁on ▁her ▁own ▁and ▁had ▁developed ▁something ▁of ▁a ▁drink ▁problem ▁when ▁Phil ▁first ▁met ▁her . ▁She ▁dry ly ▁comments ▁on ▁this , ▁saying ▁" You ' re ▁getting ▁a ▁basic ▁picture ▁of ▁a ▁spin ster ▁here , ▁aren ' t ▁you ? ▁You ' re ▁probably ▁wondering ▁if ▁I ' ve ▁got ▁any ▁c ats ." ▁However , ▁as ▁the ▁show ▁went ▁on ▁and ▁her ▁relationship ▁with ▁Phil ' s ▁son , ▁Ben , ▁was ▁expl ored , ▁it ▁became ▁clear ▁that ▁St ella ▁was ▁a ▁der anged ▁and ▁ment ally ▁un stable ▁character , ▁who ▁psych olog ically ▁and ▁phys ically ▁ab used ▁Ben ▁whilst ▁manip ulating ▁him ▁in ▁her ▁attempts ▁to ▁improve ▁her ▁relationship ▁with ▁his ▁father . ▁Supp osed ly , ▁St ella ' s ▁inst ability ▁is ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁parent al ▁neglect . ▁This ▁is ▁hint ed ▁at ▁by ▁her ▁telling ▁Ben ▁that ▁his ▁friend ▁Ab i ▁Bran ning ▁was ▁an ▁un ple asant ▁and ▁un tr ust worth y ▁person , ▁probably ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁poor ▁parent ing . ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁episode , ▁she ▁pick s ▁up ▁a ▁Mother ' s ▁Day ▁picture ▁that ▁she ▁did ▁with ▁Ben ▁and ▁gl ares ▁at ▁the ▁word ▁" M other " ▁before ▁later ▁te aring ▁up ▁the ▁card . ▁It ▁is ▁known ▁that ▁something ▁gh ast ly ▁happened ▁to ▁St ella ' s ▁sister