#’Days of Our Lives’ Boss on Kristian Alfonso’s Exit & Changes to Storylines

“#’Days of Our Lives’ Boss on Kristian Alfonso’s Exit & Changes to Storylines”

Kristian Alfonso Days of Our Lives Exit Storyline Changes

Chris Haston/NBC

As Days of Our Lives fans know, Kristian Alfonso has left the NBC soap, with her last episode yet to air, and her decision has meant some changes for planned storylines.

Alfonso had shared that her character, Hope Williams Brady, whom she’d played since 1983, was slated to be written out of the show for several months, and she’d been “taken aback.” That’s when she decided “it’s time for a change.” And now, executive producer Ken Corday, who was “dismayed” by her exit, has expanded on that plan.

“In order to launch a new story—and we had a great story for her, we still do—I needed her off-camera for three or four months,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “During that time, something very interesting happens so she comes back to Salem with a secret. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.”

According to Corday, it’s “up to Kristian” if she returns to the show. For now, fans should just expect that the October 15 episode will be the last time they see her as Hope. The actress previously hinted that it won’t include a proper farewell for her character. “I would have liked to have given the fans that have been so devoted to Days all of these years a final goodbye and not, ‘Oh, she’s out looking for someone,’ or ‘She’s upstairs cleaning her room’ or ‘She’s taken a trip,'” Alfonso said.

While fans won’t get to see that planned storyline for Hope, they will get to see more of Galen Gering as Rafe Hernandez. The actor, who joined Days of Our Lives in 2008 and whose character was slated to reunite with Alfonso’s after their divorce, will not be leaving as planned.