Monica Jean Gallagher is one of Showtime’s Shameless main characters. She is the mother of all the Gallagher children and the estranged wife of Frank Gallagher.
The first time we meet her she is getting out of a semi-truck with her girlfriend, a black lesbian named Roberta (though she prefers to be called Bob). Monica and Bob want to take Liam, who is Monica’s youngest child and also black. Monica tries to rekindle her relationship with her children, but they very much resent her for abandoning them with Frank.
Eventually, Monica and Bob break things off and Monica goes back to Frank. Both characters have severe drug/alcohol addictions and rely on their children, scams, and the government to get their next fix.
Monica was a key factor in her son Ian’s sexual awakening, helping him come out of his shell and realize being gay was okay.