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Jen Lilley Issues Statement And Confirms Her Exit From Days of our Lives!

By Michael Fairman

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Photo Credit: Brad Everett Young

On Monday morning, Jen Lilley took to her Instagram account to offer up her side of the story and confirm she is no longer with NBC’s Days of our Lives.  Here is what Jen offered up in her statement below on how DAYS and her parted company, and the reasons why.

Jen Lilley statement: “It is with bittersweet sentiment that I find myself making this statement 6 months too soon.  First, I would like to say your comments, support, and well wishes regarding my recent departure from the iconic daytime drama, Days of Our Lives, have melted my heart.  Second, I have never enjoyed playing a character so much.  I absolutely love Theresa, and the idea of not playing her pains me. I once found a quote that perfectly describes her, ‘She’s a mess of gorgeous chaos, you can see it in her eyes.’ Exploring Theresa, from her insecurities to her strengths, from her tendency to deflect emotional anguish with comedy to her firecracker spirit has been pure joy.

I hate to dissatisfy our love for black and white explanations, but there’s no one to point your finger at here. Days of Our Lives and I are parting company on the best of terms. It came down to time and the sacrifices required to keep Theresa on the front burner. Given the demanding production schedule a soap requires, that just wasn’t possible with the other commitments and opportunities I wanted to pursue. As we all know in the world of soaps, good bye for now isn’t always good bye forever, who knows what the future has in store for Theresa.

I am taking time right now to be with my family, advance the charitable causes I believe in, and pursue additional career opportunities. While I’ve missed so many moments in my family’s lives back east, I have built a west coast family at Days of Our Lives, and they haven’t seen the last of me! I’ll be stopping by the set from time to time with baked goods and bear hugs. 

Lastly, cheer up! There are 6 more wonderful months of Theresa to enjoy. And I can honestly say that each month, the storyline gets better! My exit will have you on the edge of your seat, laughing, crying, cheering, screaming, clapping, and bewildered.  And to the Theresa’s out there: I love you, I love you, I love you. You are not alone. You are beautiful and worthy of love and happiness and joy and success! May my storyline over the next six months inspire you.”

So, what did you think of Jen’s statement?  Sad to see her go?  What do you think Theresa’s exit storyline will be? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

 

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Good luck to her, she made Theresa an interesting character. However, I found her relationship with Brady to be a bit unbelievable at times. It seemed highly unlikely that Theresa could wack John over the head with a fireplace poker landing him in the hospital and then Brady married her anyway even though John is his father. Then again, of course, it IS a soap.
Will they re-cast the character of Theresa or just write her out somehow? What about the baby that she and Brady share?

So sad to see her go, I wish her luck on her future projects

She’s a beautiful and talented actress–loved her singing also. Hope she gets to fulfill her dreams and goals.

I am sorry but< I have never read anything like this before. The girl is full of herself. I think she reads her own press.And believes it. Sorry.

Seriously? Jen Lilley is one of the best actors on DOOL. What she has brought to the show has for the most part kept it going. I’m not sure she is 100% truthful in why she has chosen to leave because I believe she is smart enough to see a sinking ship. Watching Theresa grow has been fun and Jen brought her to life. She may be many things but “full of herself” is not one. I suspect you are confused with reel and real.

I know, really!

I don’t mean to sound like suzy skeptical, but if you have to point out that there’s no one to blame, there’s probably someone to blame. Given that Theresa is a Brady and a legacy character and not a Hernandez, I’m going to guess the person to blame’s name rhymes with Pena Piglely.

🙂

For all the people predicting the death of Theresa…The statement from Jen Lilley indicates something different. Theresa will most likely move away. I predict Theresa will be recast unless JL agrees to a return.

If there is a more ‘nefarious’ reason (lol), Jen is being very diplomatic. I sooo admire that in a person. Obviously, she does not want to burn any bridges.
Good fortune to you, Jen. I will miss you so!!!! Follow your brain, girl!!

I really dont know what to think at the moment…sounds like she wanted to leave and it also sounds like she didnt…would have liked to had seen her with Chad…well, she could come back but will the show be with us a year from now?…show needs better lighting, taping 6 months in advance is absurd…brighten up the stories a bit…characters like Deimos, Philip and Summer should leave not Shaun and Belle…i have no problem with Rafe’s family but the show should never loose focus on the Hortons…Bill and Laura or Jen and Jack shouldve been the shows Matriarch and patriarch…Lucas is a Horton and should be featured if we are not going to ever again see Mike…Kayla and the Aussie doc-feels like Jen and Danial all over again-ugh!!!

Basically it’s the same as any other actor/actress. They want to be able to do other outside projects, and the PTB don’t want to give them the time off. So that’s where the no one to blame comes from.

I’m certain that some soap fans being how some soap fans can be, were looking for someone to blame on social media, which necessitated the statement. I didn’t see anything wrong with the statement at all, it was straight and to the point that they are parting on good terms, but there are always going to be people that look for a problem where there is none.

I wish her lots of luck, and if the character is needed that much that she couldn’t be given the time off that she needs, then I expect it will be recast.

Good Luck to Jen, wish her the best.

To me it says a lot when talented actors leave a show. There is chaos happening at DAYS as far as the writing and production of the show. The stories are either lost in the 80’s or so boring that no one cares WHAT happens. Theresa Donovan was a spark in this show. She was catty, bitchy, funny and tender all at the same time. She added life but when they paired her with Brady they killed all of the spark. Then she became a sap. The whole story with her competing against Summer was a joke because the character of Summer was awful and ridiculous. Exactly how many babies did Maggie have that she forgot about? Next thing we know we will hear about how Maggie was a teenager and kidnapped by the Manson family and forced to be impregnated with all of his family’s future children. They already have the commune with Joey there. Watch him bring back half a dozen of Maggie’s forgotten “children”. I will miss Theresa as a good character with a lot of talent from Jen Lilley. I hope she finds work somewhere that she can show off her acting chops. DAYS is shooting straight towards cancellation with their current stories. They can bring back all the old characters they want and try to make Jack come back from the dead and have Bo whisper in ghost form to Hope and Patch ride a motorcycle to take Kayla to the Flock Of Seagulls concert at the club but it will still be a bad experience. This show is proof positive that you can not live in the past. I don’t know anything about Ms Higley’s direction for story but I do know that what she is sending forth now is embarrassing. If I hear John mumble any more about how rough his upbringing was I will puke. He is nearly seventy, time to move on and drink his metamucil.

My thought of the article and Jen was ” What a beautiful Soul.” There have been rumors since last year that JL wanted to leave DOOL to pursue other projects. Thus her leaving was no surprise to me. Did the Head Writer hasten the exit? Maybe so. I don’t watch the show with regularity so I am not invested.

I’m a fan of JL from her filling in for Kirsten Storms on GH. I wish she was available to do the same this time around. However, I can understand if JL needs downtime with her real family back east. Good luck to Jen Lilley. She is truly talented.

Too bad! She made a great Teresa, and a great Maxie on GH! If the GH production team waited one more day, she would have return as Maxie. Meanwhile, Molly will do a good job!

I’m sorry to see her go. She should pursue a career in comedies. She was hilarious on the old MTV series, Disaster Date.

I am going to miss Theresa. Jen made the character a blast to watch so I will miss the actress as well. I hope to see her in something else soon.

good lucky jen Lilly theresa was the best part of days if it wasn’t for you i would of stop watching long ago you did a great job i will miss you where every you go i wish you well many will follow you were ever you go next come back and see us know and then you had more fans following you then you know bye bye !

Perhaps she could be the temporary replacement “Maxie Jones” on GH, she’s done it before and quite successfully I might add.

I am very sorry to see Jen Lilley leave DOOL. She has been a solid bright spot in her role since day 1. My favorite dynamic was her interactions with Anne Milbauer. There haven’t been enough of them. They are terrific together!

Best of luck to you, Jen!

Oh, I agree, James. Those two should be on stage as a comedic duo. Anne and Jen are magic together.

Thanks, Celia! You’re right about them being on stage as a comedic duo. At least we have their rap video…

You can’t blame Jen Lilley, like so many beloved actors she’s leaving for greener pastures. Days is back to being a mess again, they hired Dena Higley back, and she is a disaster. And Days’ ratings are at an ALL TIME LOW, the future of Days is not looking good.

Best of luck to one of daytime’s most beautiful performers.

GH needs to quietly maintain some form of a relationship with JL in case KS ever decides to leave in a few years. JL was a very good as Temp Maxie for a full year on GH, despite fan outrage that she sadly decided to read, and honestly I was sad to see JL leave. I have always loved KS as Maxie and was happy to see her back but it was bittersweet feeling. JL did a solid job on the show as Temp Maxie so I never understood the insane amount hate on the internet that she said lead to to crying herself to sleep.

I am so going to miss Jen Lilley. Loved her character in her scenes with Ann Milbauer or Jennifer Horton most of all. Theresa and Chad would have been a great duo. Hope she returns at some point.

Wishing you all the best, Jen. You have a bright future ahead of you!

Lovely actress who is a joy to watch. She’s a shining light in the noir village of Salem these days. I hope the exit storyline is everything Jen believes it to be. And hope beyond hope that the writing team finds some sort of solid footing – and soon!

I never saw any chemistry between Brady and Theresa and IMO, Theresa ruined Brady. But, I do want to wish Jen Lilley the best!

Days Of Our Lives

DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Kristen Double Crosses Sophia and Sends Her Up the River; Rachel Boyd Delivers Emotional Performance

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The twisted topsy-turvy story of Sophia Choi has seemingly comes to an end on Days of our Lives or has it? Whatever the case, the Friday, May 1 episode of the Peacock streaming soap opera, and the episode proceeding it, gave actress Rachel Boyd a great exit story complete with Sophia writing a suicide note, that also gave DAYS a moment to end their Friday cliffhanger with a suicide prevention message. However, Sophia didn’t take her own life, it appears that Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) murdered her!

The unstable Sophia has been causing problems for everyone in Salem most notably, Rachel, Johnny, Chanel, Holly, Tate and more. So, the resolution of this story appears to be what the character deserves, but this is DAYS, and people have habit of coming back from the dead.

On Friday, after tying up Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) in his apartment and turning on the gas, Sophia left him there to die. In the pick-up, we learn Johnny imagined the place blowing up with Chanel (Raven Bowens) inside it. When he came to in the reality of the situation, he is tied up and the gas fumes are on. Outside the apartment, Javi (Al Calderon) and another paramedic show up and he burst down the door to save Johnny.  Meanwhile, we see that Chanel is still at University hospital where she learns from Sarah (Linsey Godfrey) that she has a breast cancer malignancy.

Courtesy/Peacock

Sophia, who has just written the suicide note, which is part of the plot that Kristen set for her, is confronted by her mother. Eventually, after hearing Jada (Elia Cantu) and Brady (Eric Martsolf), she sneaks out her bedroom window. Next, she runs into Tate (Leo Howard) and Holly (Ashley Puzemis) at Horton Town Square. Holly goes in on Sophia: “We all know you shouldn’t have been let out of Bayview, you crazy bitch! Part of me wishes you really were dead!” Sophia calls her former friend horrible, blows her and Tate a kiss, and the makes her exit.

At this point, Sophia had been off her medication which would have helped balance her out, but she continues to be a deeply troubled teenager. Kristen had a concocted a plot to bring Sophia down once and for all for having her young daughter, Rachel, while in Bayview together, running drugs fo her to Holly. Viewers will recall the pills were actually Sophia’s own antipsychotic medication, which she had previously been swapped for Holly’s skin supplements. Rachel was unaware she was acting as a drug courier. That sets the stage for Kristen’s ultimate act of revenge.

In the final moments of the episode, Sophia had met up with Kristen on the bridge in the evening. She takes the gun out of her purse that Kristen gave her to kill Johnny, and throws it in the river, making Kristen believe she shot him, when instead she chose to gas him. Perhaps, believing someone would find him, since he is raising her child?

Courtesy/Peacock

Next, Sophia demands Kristen’s promised payment, for faking her suicide and so she can head to Paris to start a new life. Kristen directs Sophia to throw her shoes in the water, and get her fingerprints on the railing. With her back to Kristen, she is double crossed when Kristen picks up a rock, bashed Sophia in the head and had her male cronies toss the young teen into the river below. “I told you revenge was sweet,” announced Kristen!

Following the streaming of the pivotal episodes the official Days of our Lives Instagram account posted some behind the scenes photos of Stacy Haiduk and Rachel Boyd (you can see it below) which says, “Things took a dark turn at the pier for Sophia and Kristen, but behind the scenes, Rachel and Stacy kept the mood a little lighter. Continue watching the drama unfold, only on Peacock.”

If as it appears to be that Rachel Boyd has exited DAYS, she definitely went out delivering some haunting performances.  However, the just released Days of our Lives promo for the week of May 4, 2026, shows Kristen being visited by a bloodied Sophia. Is she hallucinating or did the girl survive?

Share your thoughts on Kristen’s plot to kill Sophia, and what you thought of the plot twist and the performances of Rachel Boyd leading up to it via the comment section below. But first, check out the promo for next week on DAYS.

 

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Brilliant Minds’ Officially Canceled After 2 Seasons at NBC; DAYS Alum Al Calderon, OLTL Alum Teddy Sears and Zachary Quinto Among the Cast

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After languishing on the bubble for months, on Friday, NBC handed down the decision and canceled the medical drama Brilliant Minds after two seasons.

Brilliant Minds stars Zachary Quinto as neurology physician Oliver Wolf, who’s character and the series is inspired by the life and books of neurologist. Oliver Sacks. The series focuses on the medical mysteries of the mind, as Wolf a larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns explore the last great frontier, the human mind, while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.

The final six episodes of what will now be the end of its second and final season were already set to air beginning on May 27, after being pulled off the network schedule in February as viewership saw a steep decline. Brilliant Minds second season became the lowest-rated drama on linear TV viewing, which didn’t bode well fo a network renewal, although it had its hard core fan base.

Photo: NBC

There are some exceptional notables in the cast along with the talented Quinto that includes Days of Our Lives alum, Al Calderon (ex-Javi Hernandez) who joined the series in its second season as Nurse Nico Silva, and One Life to Live alum, Teddy Sears (ex-Chad Bennett) who plays Wolf’s love interest and fellow physician, Dr. Josh Nichols.

The rest of the talented cast includes: Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Donna Murphy, John Clarence Stewart, and Brian Altemus.

In an ironic twist of fate on Thursday, April 30, Days of Our Lives finally revealed the actor who was Al Calderon’s successor in the role of Javi, when they announced that actor Jacob Martinez had now stepped into the role. Since DAYS tapes ten months ahead of streaming new episode, Calderon left in the spring of 2025, but will be seen in the part for the final part this month, and then on June 20, Martinez debuts as Salem’s new Javi.

Taking to his Instagram with a sorrowful and heartfelt post on the Brilliant Minds cancellation was Teddy Sears who wrote, “Thank you, Brilliant Minds. I got the call today and I didn’t want to hear, but I knew that it would come, You have to be a particular vintage to quote Don Henley from memory, but that’s the line that came to mind earlier today after I got off the phone with our inimitable showrunner Michael Grassi who delivered the news that NBC has cancelled the series”.

Photo: NBC

Sears continued, “To say that I feel sad to be moving on from these stories, this character, and this cast and crew just doesn’t paint the entire picture. I’m sad, sure. But I’m also deeply grateful that I got hired to play this part, so proud of the stories we told, and the other actors I got to play alongside. I’m excited to see what comes next, what adventures await, and terrified to be without a professional home. A quick and heartfelt thank you to everyone, all over the globe, who found us and found themselves in us, in our characters and in our stories. We wouldn’t have been able to tell them without you. And we still have 6 fresh episodes yet to air, and I do hope you tune in enjoy the remainder of the series. They’re the best we’ve done.”

As he wrapped up his sentiments, Sears signed off with, “The more I know, the less I understand. All the things I figured out I have to learn again. I’ve been trying to get down to the heart of the matter. But everything changes…Thank you, Brilliant Minds.”

Calderon took to his Instagram story and simply shared, “Thank You, Brilliant Minds.”

The medical drama was created and executive produced by Michael Grassi alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Jasmine Russ, Henrik Bastin, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis and Shefali Malhoutra.

So, what do you think of NBC’s decision to cancel Brilliant Minds after two seasons? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Sophia Seemingly Plans to End Her Life, But Not Before Setting Fire to Johnny’s Apartment With Him Trapped Inside

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The final few moments of the Thursday, April 30 episode of Days of our Lives, will pave the way, to what just may be the end of Sophia Choi’s (Rachel Boyd) life, but not as you may think!

After an unhinged Sophia paid a visit to Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman), maced him in the eyes, knocked him out and then tied up to a chair, now conscious, she lets him know that she holds him responsible for all the trouble and trauma she has gone through from adopting her child, and her being sent to a mental institution.

So instead of the unregistered gun Kristen (Stacy Haiduk) gave her to finish off Johnny, Sophia sets up a plan to light candle, use nail polish remover and turn on the gas on the stove to ultimately create a mass explosion, which although Johnny pleaded to her not to that to all the innocent people inside his apartment building, she doesn’t seem to care.

Photo: JPI

FIERY FACE OFF

The plan was supposed to be, after she takes care of Johnny she will toss the gun in the Salem River, then focus on payback to Holly Jonas before leaving town to start a new life.

Now, Sophia makes her exit, leaving Johnny to be a few moments away from an explosion or gas inhalation, when Chanel (Raven Bowens) comes home after awaiting the results of her mammogram. She sees Johnny tied up, as he panics and tells her to put out the flame on the candle, things go awry, and a fire has begun and everything may go up in flames with Johnny and Chanel inside.

Photo: JPI

A BROKEN SOPHIA

Back in her room, Sophia breaks down after reading the social media comments about her, she planted, and then starts writing a suicide or farewell note which says. “I’m tired of begging for forgiveness for my mistakes. All I wanted was to move forward, to be loved and understood. But it’s clear that I was never going to get that. Holly Jonas said that I was dead to her. So, as her former BFF, I’m going to make her dream a reality.”

Photo: JPI

A DEADLY TRAP

Now, the fate of Johnny, Chanel and Sophia will be revealed on tomorrow’s May 1st cliffhanger, which may be the end of Sophia when she crosses paths with Kirsten at the bridge near the river. We do know Rachel Boyd is no longer appearing in the show credits section and is now off contract with the soap.

So, what did you think of the climatic final moments of DAYS? What did you think of the performance of Rachel Boyd as Sophia Choi? Let us know via the comment section.

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