Li on Bold and Beautiful — Everything You Need To Know

Li Finnegan on Bold and Beautiful has been around since August 2021 but as she’s not on all the time, some viewers might need a refresher on her history. And that’s where we come in! The role is played by Naomi Matsuda, whom viewers might recognize from her roles on primetime series like All American, The Rookie, American Crime Story, or New Girl. B&B isn’t Matsuda’s daytime debut, either — she played John’s ex, Tori, for a brief run on Days of Our Lives back in 2015.

Li joined her husband, Jack Finnegan, in visiting their adopted son, John “Finn” Finnegan, in Los Angeles. After meeting his fiancée, Steffy Forrester, and their son, Hayes, Li and Jack went to Forrester Creations to meet some of the rest of the family.

Li was very happy that her son was marrying into this wonderful family but then the wedding reception was ruined by the arrival of Sheila Carter, who announced that she was Finn’s birth mother! Stunned, Li couldn’t believe it until Jack confirmed that it was true. He lied that Sheila had contacted him years ago, and both Li and Finn were surprised he hadn’t told them. Of course, once the Forresters explained how evil and dangerous Sheila is, Li understood and wanted the villain to leave her son alone.

Later, Jack apologized to Li for keeping things from her, and she was relieved when he promised that Sheila wouldn’t trouble them anymore. But eventually, Jack came clean with Li and admitted that he knew who Finn’s biological father was because it was him! She was heartbroken to learn that he’d had an affair with Sheila all those years ago and lied to both her and Finn this whole time. She forced him to tell their son the truth before he found out from someone else.

In April 2022, Li was horrified when Finn was shot to death and refused to let Sheila even see him in the hospital to say goodbye. But soon after, it was revealed that there was a very good reason Li was keeping everyone away from Finn — he was really alive! As the doctor cared for her son at home, she urged him to wake up from his coma and come back to her.

After Sheila escaped from prison, she went to Li’s to confront her and was stunned to discover that Finn was still alive. However, when Li attempted to call the police, it led to a violent confrontation that ended with Sheila chasing Li’s car down the road and a collision that sent Li’s burning car plunging into the water!

Although everyone thought Li had perished in the crash, Bill Spencer was stunned to see a disheveled and disoriented Li cowering behind a restaurant! He brought her back to his place where he helped clean her up and get her checked out by a doctor. Eventually, Li recovered her wits and memories and was able to tell everyone that Finn was really alive, and Sheila had him in her clutches now! They rushed to the apartment where Li was reunited with her recovered son, although Sheila had once again given everybody the slip! Steffy was upset with Li for keeping Finn from her, but she refused to apologize for her actions.

Li was delighted when Sheila was finally apprehended in January 2023 and visited her in jail to gloat. However, when Finn and Steffy were pressured into not testifying or pressing charges, Sheila went free. Months later, when Sheila was brought into the ER after a heart attack while once again trying to escape the cops, Li found herself acting as her doctor. When Sheila flatlined, Li refused to help and advised a stunned Finn to just let her die. But Finn couldn’t stand by and do nothing while his birth mother died. When the judge once again threw out Sheila’s charges and set her free, Li was disgusted that Finn had hugged her after the hearing. Advising Finn he should not have anything to do with Sheila or it would be the end of his marriage, Li urged her son to cut her out of his life forever. 

When her niece, Luna Nozawa, began working as an intern at Forrester, Li was adamant that she have nothing to do with the family and pressed her to quit. When she refused, Li warned her she had tried to help. Eating out at Il Giardino, Li found Sheila waiting on her and tried goading her into attacking her so she could be arrested again but it didn’t work. Luna’s mother, Poppy Nozawa, showed up and it was clear that she and Li had a very contentious past. First, it was revealed that Poppy had slept with a married doctor at the hospital where Li worked, and later, that Li was jealous of her sister’s ability to have a baby.

As 2024 began, Li was outraged to learn that Poppy was dating Bill Spencer, and accused her of being a gold digger. That spring, Li was happy to hear that Steffy had killed Sheila in self-defense, but horrified when the villain showed up very much alive at the hospital to rub it in her face that Finn had helped rescue her! Furious, Li lashed out at Sheila, vowing that she would kill her herself!

Suspecting Poppy was trying to trap Bill, Li interrupted their paternity test to insist she monitor the results and was stunned when her own test revealed that Bill was Luna’s father. After, Poppy hoped she and her sister could make a fresh start, but Li was still holding on to old resentments. After being in the audience when Tom Starr died on stage of an overdose, Li became suspicious when Hollis died of the same drug. She immediately suspected Sheila and was surprised when Katie Logan questioned her about Poppy. When her sister was arrested for the killings, Li assured Poppy she believed in her innocence. And when it was later revealed that Luna was the murderer, Li was instrumental in stopping her niece from escaping the long arm of the law.

Given that Luna had faked the paternity test to make Bill her father, Li became suspicious and in January 2025, did a DNA test of her own at the hospital that proved Tom wasn’t Luna’s father as everyone had been led to believe. Summoning Poppy and Jack to her office, Li insisted on drawing Jack’s blood for another test to prove her suspicion that he’d cheated on her with her sister! But that test, too, came back negative, and Li profusely apologized to Poppy for the way she’d treated her. She then told Finn all about it, wondering to her son who Luna’s father could possibly be.