Days Of Our Lives
DAYS OF OUR LIVES Preview: Who Really Shot EJ DiMera? The Culprit is Revealed!
Fans of Days of our Lives hold on to your socks! Next week, the Peacock streaming soap opera will finally and definitively reveal who shot EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) as Johnny DiMera’s (Carson Boatman) trial for the deed comes to a shocking conclusion!
After Friday’s, August 15th episode, Johnny has fired his father as his lawyer after the use of the deep fake AI footage of his wife, Chanel (Raven threatening EJ. Now without counsel, what will Johnny’s plan be to be acquitted for attempted murder?
According to the latest video promo for the the action in Salem the week of August 18-22, EJ is speaking with Marlena at the DiMera mansion where he exclaims, “My, God. The lives I’ve altered.” Then in the courtroom, Kristen enters (Stacy Haiduk) and suddenly she becomes the disruptor to the trial.

Photo: JPI
Chanel, Marlena (Deidre Hall) and Paulina (Jackée Harry) are sitting together inside the courtroom and are stunned by Kristen’s demeanor. Leo (Greg Rikaart), who just happens to be a juror, is also shocked. Kristen seems to be arguing with the bailiff who tries to control her outburst, but she fights him and yells, “No, no!”
So, what do you think is going on here? Will Rachel (Alice Halsey) be revealed as the shooter? Kristen? Did EJ do it to himself and frame someone? Is it Johnny after all? Could it actually be Belle (Martha Madison)? The promo comes to a close with Marlena saying “The jury has reached a verdict,” with Rachel standing next to her.

Photo: JPI
Take a look at some of the official DAYS spoilers for next week below.
Monday, August 18
EJ has a meltdown with Tony.
Chanel urges Johnny to focus on clearing his name instead of hers.
Tuesday, August 19
Marlena and Julie commiserate about family matters
The identity of EJ’s shooter is finally revealed.
Wednesday, August 20
Kristen is unable to ignore the facts.
Philip tells Belle she deserves better.
Thursday, August 21
Marlena distracts Rachel.
Leo presides over deliberations as the jury votes.
Friday, August 22
Johnny’s trial comes to an unexpected close.
Kristen asks Marlena for a favor.
Now below, check out the the latest promo for all-new episodes of Days of our Lives entitled, “At What Cost.” Then weigh-in, who do you think pulled the trigger and tried to end the life of EJ DiMera? Share your suspicions and your picks in the comment section.
I’ve said little Rachel ever since learning of the planned storyline….Long before EJ was shot, I said the shooter would be little Rachel. I could be wrong, but I might as well stick with my one and only guess.
You’re RIGHT.
Having a kid shoot her uncle point blank in the chest, that seems a little too “dark”, even for me. And I invented darkness, for Hell’s sake! I remember when teenage Will shot him in the ass, but that wasn’t so dark, because the wound was relatively minor.
Rachel being the shooter would certainly explain the PTSD that both she and EJ have, blocking their memories of the event. But I’m thinking more of an accidental scenario. We know that Johnny originally had the gun that he “borrowed” from Grandpa Roman. We also know that Roman retrieved the gun from the flower bed outside the mansion. What we don’t know is where exactly Johnny left the gun, once he decided NOT to go through with shooting Elvis.
My theory is that Rachel picked up the gun, but being a little kid, didn’t exactly know the proper way to handle it. EJ was probably trying to talk her into handing him the gun, something went wrong in that process, and the gun went off.
But of course the writing on this whole thing has already gone south, considering the original ballistics report said that the bullet pulled from EJ’s chest was from a .9mm handgun, and not a .38 revolver. So the story’s already been changed from whatever the original intent was. Not sure if ReRon’s departure had anything to do with that, as I believe he might have still been the writer of record when EJ got shot.
ReRon would have typically had a disposable character be the shooter like Rafe’s doppelganger “Arnold” or Kristen’s mother Granny Rachel, who’s 2 cans short of a 6 pack, mentally speaking. Or Ava Vitali, who actually had a gun that matched the original ballistic report, who also dropped that gun in a garbage can, right before catching a plane to China, and hasn’t been seen since.
Obviously nobody’s sending a child to prison. Or even the Bayview loony bin. Guess Grandma Marlena is going to have to do her shrink magic on the poor kid, if indeed she turns out to be guilty.
Breaking News
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Presenters Announced

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Thursday, the lineup of presenters for 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards taking place on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.
The ceremony will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.
Scheduled to present from the current soaps are: Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, General Hospital), Delon de Metz (Zende, The Bold and the Beautiful), James Preston (Nick, The Bay), Paul Telfer (Xander, Days of our Lives), Tamara Tunie (Anita, Beyond the Gates) and Susan Walters (Diane, The Young and the Restless).

Photo: NATAS
In addition soap alums, Crystal Chappell, Lesli Kay, Joe Lando, Eva LaRue, who is also a nominee this year, A Martinez, Juliet Mills, and Alicia Leigh Willis, will also be on hand to present.
The ceremony which celebrates nominated lifestyle programs and dramas will also include presenters: Eva zu Beck (Superskilled with Eva zu Beck), Danielle Chang (Lucky Chow), Sunny Hostin (The View), Derek Hough (Extra), Pati Jinich (Pati’s Mexican Table), Star Jones (Divorce Court), Michael Jr. (Stand Up and Do Something), Judge Greg Mathis (Mathis Court with Judge Mathis), Keke Palmer (Glam Through the Ages), Nischelle Turner (Entertainment Tonight), and Andrew Zimmern (Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen).
The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards will bring together an exciting mix of presenters representing the full spectrum of daytime television,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO of NATAS. “From familiar faces in daytime drama to the personalities and creative voices behind talk shows and lifestyle programming, this year’s lineup reflects the breadth of talent that makes daytime so special. We look forward to celebrating the people who continue to shape the genre.”
Matthew Hoffman (Love Island USA, Cheap A$$ Beach Houses) will serve as the ceremony’s Voice of God, bringing his signature comedic narration to the evening’s celebrations. As previously announced, Lifetime Achievement honoree Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by her husband, Jonathan Frakes.
So, what do you think about the list of presenters for the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards? Let us know who you are looking forward to seeing via the comment section below.
Days Of Our Lives
‘Days of our Lives’ Reveals Kyle Pryor Cast as Dominic Marino

For months now, Days of our Lives has teased the character of Dominic Marino. In recent weeks, viewers learned that Marino is on the down low working with Sami Brady’s (Alison Sweeney) apparent fiancé ‘Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti), and that he is the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)!
Up until now, the Peacock streaming soap opera has never revealed his face, but that all seemed to change on the Tuesday, October 2o episode of DAYS. In story, Dante met Sami’s parents for the first time, Roman (Josh Taylor) and Marlena.
He shows them a photo of Dominic, which he happened to have on his own phone and even commented he kind of looked like he could be Marlena’s son. The photo, which has quickly made it around Soap Twitter/X, revealed that British-born actor Kyle Pryor is the man in the photo and eagle-eyed viewers actually located said photo on Pryor’s Instagram.

Photo: Peacock
Deadline revealed Pryor started taping at the end of 2025 and will first be seen in the role, on air Monday, November 2. In addition, Days will celebrate its 61st Anniversary with two special episodes featuring Dominic’s arrival, as well the returns of Tony and Anna DiMera, played respectively by Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley, on Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9.
Those in the know, are are that Pryor previously held series regular roles on Australia’s Home and Away, and the UK’s Hollyoaks and guest starred on Emmerdale. In an ironic twist, Pryor appeared in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand which is the same action series his apparent TV brother, Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera), once appeared in before coming to DAYS.
So excited to see Kyle Pryor take on the role of Dominic Marino as Days of our Lives sets its anniversary story to kick-off with is arrival in Salem? Share your thoughts in the comment section. And in case you missed our latest conversation with Conner Floyd (Chad DiMera) he weighs-in on how Dominic’s appearance will shake things up in Salem. You can check that out below.
Days Of Our Lives
Days of our Lives’ Conner Floyd Talks Dominic Marino Mystery, Chad and Belle, and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Exclusive)

Fasten your seat belts Days of our Lives fans, as the mystery of Dominic Marino continues to unravel on all-new episodes of the Peacock streaming soap opera. Last week, Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) learned that he may have a half-brother, who may be the biological child of his father, the late Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), giving him great pause, because he knows Stefano had kidnapped Marlena for four years back in the late 80s and early 90s.
Chad has already been hunting down clues with his current girlfriend Belle Black (Martha Madison) in Italy and Salem, which revealed a photo of a young boy with Stefano with the date 1992 on the back of it, hidden inside Stefano’s chess set. So, what’s next?
Conner Floyd chatted on the Michael Fairman Channel in a new virtual interview released on Sunday, October 18, where he spoke on what the new addition to the DiMera family could do to the already dangerous sibling rivalries, the state of Chad’s relationship with Belle and much more.

Photo: JPI
DIMERA RIVALRY
After finding out from EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) that Dominic Marino could be the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano and Marlena, Conner Floyd explained, “I think it blows Chad’s mind a little bit. I think there’s a lot of things working there with old Chad. Obviously, bringing in another DiMera could cause some noise and the whole situation with Marlena’s a little awkward as well because he’s dating Belle, so this could cause a little tiff there. I think his head’s spinning and he does not know what to expect, but I also think he kind of expects that from Stefano, for sure.”
As to how this will change and color Chad’s relationship with EJ, Floyd responded, “Chad knows EJ’s not happy about it and I think he’s going to be real upset if this gets in his way of doing what he wants to do with the DiMera legacy and all that. However, for Chad, I think he’s just going to keep a sharp eye, see what this guy’s about, see if he’s here to cause some trouble or here to be a friend and kinda play it by ear.”

Photo: JPI
BELLE OF MY HEART
With Chad and Belle already being sleuths, Floyd says, you can look for the duo to continue getting to the truth. “I think Chad and Belle are committed to this. They’re going full National Treasure, Nicolas Cage,” says Conner. “They’re going to follow the clues. They’re going to get some answers.”
Since beginning in the role of Chad in June of 2025 and debuting on-screen back in April of 2026, the former Y&R star (where he played Chance Chancellor), says it was Madison who helped him get comfortable in his new surroundings.
“Martha is phenomenal. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to get tagged up with when I started here, just because she knows everybody,” shares Floyd. “She knows where to go, who to talk to. She’ll get the tea if you want, and so it was kind of cool. Martha took me under her wing, showed me the ropes. She’s a sweetheart. I love working with her too. She’s a great actress.”
But, is Chad in love with Belle after such a tortured past with his beloved Abigail Deveraux DiMera? Floyd thinks so! “I think he’s into it. They’re such good friends and they have such a rich history. I think he’s in for the ride. You know, it’s one of those things you probably overlook at first and then they reconnected, and it feels easy and they’re going on these fun adventures.”
MAKING CHAD HIS OWN
Conner had the arduous task of being the successor to Billy Flynn in the role of Chad.. Flynn had played the part for 12 years before deciding to exit and head to Y&R. So, how did Conner approach learning the ins and out of Chad? Floyd shared, “I really dove into Chad when I first got this job. I liked that he kind of walks this tightrope of DiMera and not DiMera, you know. He want to so honor his family roots and really do something for the DiMera family, but he doesn’t want to fall into that trap that all the other DiMera have found themselves in. Chad is a DiMera at heart. He’s got those demons, but he’s just trying to keep them contained.”

Photo: JPI
ICONIC
When Floyd got to DAYS, it was none other than Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) who most surprised him in the most delightful way, given that he knew Hayes was a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and the current longest-running cast member on the canvas.
“I love working with Susan Hayes! I love her. She’s a sweetheart. Susan is one of the nicest people there. I just thought she was cool and it’s Susan Hayes, you know? We’ve had a lot of scenes together, which is nice,” explained Conner.
“We’ll go to her dressing room, we’ll run our scenes, and then we’ll spend about an hour just talking about life and she’ll tell me about a book she’s reading. She’s such a history buff, which blows my mind. She’ll start dropping all these historical facts on me. I learn something new by the time I walk out of her dressing room every time!”
Now below, check out the full conversation with Conner Floyd via the Michael Fairman Channel.
Weigh-in: Do you like Chad and Belle as couple? Do you think Chad will get to the bottom of the Dominic Marino mystery? If so, do you think Dominic is truly Stefano and Marlena’s son … and what about Rita (Maggie Carney) in all this? Let us know your theories in the comment section.
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