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DAYS Susan Seaforth Hayes Responds to Fan Uproar Over Her Daytime Emmy Lead Actress Nomination Snub

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: JPI

The beloved and iconic star of Days of our Lives, the legendary Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) has come forward with a heartfelt statement and showed just why she is one of the all-time classiest people we know, since fans have been in an uproar over her name not appearing alongside the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for the upcoming 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards come this October.

Susan’s assistant and friend, Amy Shaughnessy. took to X on Wednesday, following the announcement of the Lead Actress category and revealed that, yes, Susan did, in fact, submit her work for the Lead Actress category in a year which in real life saw her lose her longtime husband, Bill Hayes (Doug Williams) and then mourn the loss of Julie’s (and Susan’s) one and only on-screen in heartbreaking episodes and performances.

On Thursday, Hayes took to her social media account to express her sincere thanks to all the fans who were upset by her snub. Susan shared: “For everyone who was upset by the Emmy nominations, I am amazed and moved that so many cared that deeply about Susan Hayes and Julie, her other self.”

Photo: JPI

She went on to say, “The first Daytime Emmys happened live from the gorgeous plaza of Rockefeller Center in NYC. Bill Hayes sang, we presented, and MacDonald Carey (ex-Tom Horton, DAYS) won for ‘best person on daytime’ or some vague category that made us all feel splendid. Eventually, the categories became more specific; Lead Actor, Supporting, Younger, and now Emerging Actor (imagine Meryl Streep rising out of a cake!). Between my nominations, I have had the honor of co-hosting the show once with Beverlee McKinsey (ex-Iris, Another World/Texas; ex-Alexandra, Guiding Light) and in 2018 receiving a Lifetime Achievement Emmy that sits on our piano next to Billy’s. I have not been snubbed by all the judges of NATAS over time.”

Susan added, “From 1968–2025 I fit into all the categories, emerging, to supporting, to lead. Susan Lucci (ex-Erica, All My Children) was forever a leading lady, Susan/Julie reflected the more natural evolution of nature. She was fresh– then hot– cooled down– and for now, mellow. I have had the chance to stay a working actress for all those thousands of shows. Studying lines, going through the studio gate, being present with the creative cast and crew for one of the longest running dramas on American television.”

Photo: JPI

“Is she ‘entertaining?’ This is not the usual path of a soap opera leading lady. In that story of loss I was more than an actress, I was a wife. My husband deserved all I could give to show the reality of grief and loss,” expressed Hayes.” Perhaps the judges felt I wasn’t acting when for the camera, I got the news, kissed the body goodbye, and gave the eulogy. No matter, my truth was based on a love that was real for an audience that loved him, too. My reward in 2024 was that I honored Doug and Julie, members of a family millions have opened their hearts to I am hugely blessed and promise you all I will keep on keeping on.”

Previously, Shaughnessy said of Susan’s performance and omission from the nominees, “She filmed a death scene with a body double 3 months after lying next to her actual husband in a hospice bed and saying goodbye to him. We talked every morning during the week of filming about how to breathe, take breaks, and channel the real life emotions of grief and loss into her performance so she could reach fellow audience members who had lost loved ones.”

“NO one deserved a nomination this year more than Susan Seaforth Hayes for her absolutely brilliant performance processing and living through Bill Hayes’ and Doug Williams’ deaths, said Amy. “She did what most actors never have to do; she exposed her soul and shared her real life grief with the entire daytime audience. It was raw, real, and MORE than worthy of an Emmy nomination. Shame on you, Academy members, for not recognizing Susan Seaforth Hayes for her brave and exceptional performance.”

What are your thoughts on Susan not appearing in the list of six Lead Actress nominees for the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards? Were you touched by her sentiments on fan outcry? Let us know in the comment section.

 

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Susan you are a class act who not only deserved a nomination but the win! It has been years since the academy have actually cared about daytime tv. It’s an absolute shame and again an absolute disrespect for the genre .

Yes, she drove story for Doug’s passing/memorial episodes, but there’s a good argument to be made to submit her in supporting – where she’d be the odds-on favorite with the other nominees listed.

Regardless, she is forever a class act.

She has more class than some of the fans on here do.

Even for an organization that’s prone to getting so many things wrong, NATAS has really goofed on this one. I’ll admit, I assumed SSH had put herself in for Supporting Actress, but Lead wasn’t a stretch, and she should have been nominated, at least.

I wonder if other actresses on Days did not submit for Lead out of deference to Susan, and that’s how we ended up with nobody from Days nominated for Lead Actress. That would make it doubly appalling.

I haven’t had a lot of faith in NATAS since . . . well, ever, really, and I go back 50 years with soap-watching. But this one stuns me. Boneheaded by even NATAS’s low, low, low standards.

YUP! Gave up on the Daytime Emmys a long time ago.

To be fair about it, Susan already had to relive her actual husbands death for the cameras (since he was also her husband for the show). If she didn’t want to go through all that a third time, in the process of submitting those scenes for nomination, I really couldn’t blame her.

Though all things considered, she probably deserves the award for pulling those scenes off, under the circumstances.

Wow, maybe all know nobody held a candle to her last year, so they were intimidated, & left her out. We have all witnessed a lot of loss, but nobody had to lose their husband, then spend months also grieving a body double at work daily! We all felt her loss & cried. I probably would have done the scenes on auto pilot, but she blew my mind at the hardest weeks of her life, Real, & Reel.

Does anybody realize she and her husband put daytime on the map? They were on Newsweek I think not sure I was a junior high kid but Susan is a great person and I said good riddance a long time ago the same nominees the same crap.

Bill and Susan were on the January 12, 1976 edition of “Time” magazine in which the accompanying article proclaimed Days of our Lives as the most daring daytime drama. Time…⏳

That’s correct. It was Tony Geary & Genie Francis on Newsweek. People always get confused that was a Time cover.

Yep. “Sex and Suffering in the Afternoon.” I remember the article well; I’d been watching soaps about a year and could not believe they’d made the cover of a national magazine! Among other things, the article rated all the soaps with zero to four teardrops (might have been five), and only Days got the full four (or five), though as I recall, Another World and Young and Restless were right behind (with half a teardrop less). Classic quote from SSH regarding the interviewer’s observation that folks in Salem were, um, quite sexually active: “We are a bunch of horny devils.” (If she weren’t such a goddess anyway, SSH would be a soap treasure just for her wry commentary through the years. Circa 1993: James Reilly, on why he was writing Julie out of the show: “Julie’s stories have been told.” SSH: “Really? I must have slept through them.”)

Its a silly system. Its the same five or six actors favored actresses being nominated over and over again every year or two years even when their performances suck. The soap industry then tries to correct the crookedness by coming up with new award categories like best younger actor actress or best new emerging talent. This leads to other fiascos like the wrong actress winning or younger actor nominees over the age limit. The Oscars and Emmys look at hundreds of potential nominees in numerous categories. The daytime Emmys are dealing with only four soaps and realistically maybe a hundred potential nominees and they make it a joke. Kudos to Mrs. Hayes for exhibiting the class from her generation that this new iteration of the award show lacks.

Breaking News

53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Presenters Announced

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Daytime Emmy Presenters

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).

Genie Francis

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.

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‘Days of our Lives’ Reveals Kyle Pryor Cast as Dominic Marino

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Kyle Pryor

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.

Dominix

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.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives’ Conner Floyd Talks Dominic Marino Mystery, Chad and Belle, and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Exclusive)

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Conner Floyd

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.

EJ and Chad

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.”

Belle and Chad

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.”

Susan Seaforth Hayes

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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