Daya's Motivation: Sleeping With Cesar Explained

Daya's decision to sleep with Cesar was a form of retaliation against her mother, Aleida, who had accused her of sleeping with him. Aleida had been imprisoned for taking the fall for Cesar's drug-dealing operation, leaving Daya to care for her younger siblings. Upon being wrongfully accused by her mother, Daya slept with Cesar, which angered Aleida. This incident is part of a cycle of complicated emotional relationships and betrayals between the two.

Daya slept with Cesar out of retaliation against her mother, Aleida

Daya's decision to sleep with Cesar was fuelled by her desire to retaliate against her mother, Aleida. Aleida had wrongfully accused Daya of sleeping with Cesar, which angered Daya. This accusation came at a time when Daya was already frustrated with her mother's lack of interest in her children and her prioritisation of Cesar and his drug business.

Daya's retaliation against her mother was a way to hurt Aleida and get back at her for the years of neglect and emotional manipulation. Daya knew that sleeping with Cesar would be a betrayal of her mother, especially since Aleida had taken the fall for Cesar's drug dealing activities and was in prison because of him. Daya's actions were a way to act out against her mother's control and assert her own agency.

The complicated relationship between Daya and Aleida is marked by a cycle of banging (or attempting to bang) each other's boyfriends and a pattern of giving up on each other. Daya's decision to sleep with Cesar can be seen as a direct response to Aleida's treatment of her and her attempt to break free from her mother's hold.

Daya's actions also had consequences for her own life, as she ended up in prison on drug-related charges, possibly due to her involvement with Cesar and his drug operation.

Aleida had a strained relationship with Daya

Daya and Aleida's relationship was strained from the start. When Daya was a child, Aleida sent her to a summer camp for inner-city children. Aleida pretended that she was glad to be free of her daughter for a month, but she actually broke down and cried when Daya was out of sight. When Aleida picked Daya up, she saw that Daya had enjoyed herself and had formed a close bond with a camp worker. Aleida was jealous and threw away Daya's artwork and crafts. She manipulated Daya into not wanting to return to the camp the following year.

Aleida had five children by five different men, and she left Daya to raise them all while she helped her boyfriend Cesar's drug business. Aleida was eventually arrested for taking the fall for Cesar's drug dealing. Daya assumed responsibility for her siblings while her mother was in prison.

Interactions between Aleida and her children were less than loving. When Daya and her siblings visited Aleida in jail, Aleida showed no interest in them or their lives. Instead, she accused Daya of sleeping with Cesar, which angered Daya. In retaliation, Daya initiated a sexual relationship with Cesar.

When Daya was sent to prison, Aleida was the first to welcome her with a ruthless backhand across the face. While in prison, Daya and Aleida's relationship continued to be strained. They clashed over Daya's relationship with Correctional Officer John Bennett, which Aleida tried to sabotage. They also clashed over Daya's pregnancy and how to handle it. Aleida instructed Gloria Mendoza to give Daya a potion that would supposedly abort the child, but it ended up bringing the mother and daughter closer together.

Despite their differences, Daya and Aleida plotted together to cover up Daya's relationship with Bennett and her pregnancy. They conspired with other inmates to have Daya seduce C.O. Mendez and collect evidence of the sex to claim that Mendez had raped her. This would provide a father for Daya's child and get rid of Mendez and his drugs from the prison.

Daya and Aleida's relationship was further strained when Daya gave birth and Aleida lied to Delia, the adoptive mother, saying that the baby was stillborn. Daya was angry with her mother for this, but they temporarily reconciled at the end of season three.

By the end of season four, Daya's baby was still in foster care, and Daya was still in prison. When Aleida was released early, she promised to get her life together and get her children and Daya's baby back from CPS, but Daya was doubtful that Aleida could achieve this.

Daya was forced to take on responsibility for her younger siblings

Daya cared deeply for her siblings and always cooked for them, disciplined them, and took an interest in their activities. However, she resented her mother for neglecting her children. When Aleida was in prison, Daya and her siblings visited her, but Aleida showed no interest in them or their lives. Instead, she accused Daya of sleeping with Cesar, which angered Daya.

Daya's father had deserted her and her mother when she was two years old. As a child, she was sent to a summer camp for inner-city children, where she had a wonderful time and formed a close bond with a camp worker. However, when Aleida picked her up, she threw away all of Daya's artwork and manipulated her into not wanting to return the following year.

Daya's experience with her mother and the responsibility of raising her siblings had a significant impact on her life. It influenced her protective nature towards her family and her idealistic view of love. It also contributed to her decision to initiate a sexual relationship with Cesar, as an act of retaliation against her mother.

Aleida was in prison for taking the fall for Cesar's drug dealing

Aleida Diaz, Dayanara “Daya” Diaz's mother, took the fall for her boyfriend, Cesar, when they were busted for cooking crack in their kitchen. Aleida was sent to prison, leaving her daughter Daya to raise her four siblings while also caring for Cesar's drug operation.

Daya and her siblings visited Aleida in prison, and their interactions were cold and unloving. Aleida was more concerned about whether Cesar was cheating on her than about her children and their lives. She even went so far as to wrongfully accuse Daya of sleeping with Cesar, which Daya denied.

After this accusation, Daya initiated a sexual relationship with Cesar in retaliation against her mother. Daya's actions were a way of getting back at her mother for the hurt and neglect she had experienced at her hands.

The complicated and strained relationship between Aleida and Daya continued even after Daya was sent to prison herself. They struggled to trust each other and often tried to get back at each other, such as when Aleida attempted to seduce Daya's boyfriend, John Bennett, but failed.

Despite their differences, Aleida and Daya occasionally found moments of reconciliation, such as when they shared a meaningful hug on the beach at the lake. However, their relationship remained challenging, and Daya was often hurt and disappointed by her mother's actions.

Daya was in a relationship with John Bennett

Daya was in a relationship with Correctional Officer John Bennett, which was kept a secret as relationships between inmates and officers are forbidden. Daya and Bennett would pass notes and drawings to each other and meet in a janitor's closet for sexual encounters. Daya discovers Bennett's prosthetic leg but assures him that his disability does not matter to her.

Daya's mother, Aleida, disapproved of the relationship and tried to seduce Bennett in retaliation for Daya sleeping with Cesar. However, Bennett refused Aleida's advances. Daya eventually became pregnant and decided to keep the baby. This created trouble for her and Bennett, as if Bennett was revealed to be the father, he would be imprisoned for rape as inmates are not legally able to give consent.

Bennett proposed to Daya with a ring made from a gum wrapper, but then left town without saying goodbye. Daya was hurt and embarrassed by Bennett's sudden departure and was forced to cope with the reality of being a single mother in prison. She considered giving her baby up for adoption but ultimately decided to keep the child.

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