Is Melissa Reeves Coming Back to ‘Days of our Lives’ as Jennifer Horton?
Days of our Lives stunned fans by replacing Melissa Reeves as Jennifer Horton. This left many asking, why did she leave DOOL. Where did she go, is she gone for good, and whether she’ll ever come back to the role. Here’s the latest update on the actress and character’s status with the NBC soap.
Is Melissa Reeves Leaving Days of our Lives Permanently?
Viewers last saw Melissa Reeves portray Jennifer Horton in October 2020. Then, the network replaced her with veteran actress Cady McClain. But for many, the love of Jack Deveraux’s (Matthew Ashford) life will always be the original Jennifer – i.e. the talented and beautiful Mrs. Reeves.
When Bill Horton (Edward Mallory/Christoper Stone) and Laura Spencer’s (Jaime Lyn Bauer) daughter got a SORAS (soap opera rapid aging syndrome) recast, it was Melissa Reeves playing teenaged Jennifer Horton. She was a troubled teen who gradually found her way back from the brink.
Jennifer looks gorgeous today #days #dool pic.twitter.com/S4DHnkkNI9
— 🅺🅸🅼🅱🅴🆁🅻🆈 (@4KimmieBee) May 23, 2018
It wasn’t too long before Jack fell for the beauty on Days of our Lives and a supercouple blossomed. Fans loved them together and were dismayed when Jack “died” in an elevator crash. Then, he came back but that was a rough road. Just when things got better for them, Melissa Reeves left.
So why did the actress leave and will she ever be back to DOOL as Jennifer Horton? Right now, the soap sidelined the character, aside from a few phone calls here and there. Abigail Deveraux’s (Marci Miller) with her mom. But the actress is really out on maternity leave, so there won’t be scenes…
Why Did the Actress Leave the Role of Jennifer Horton on DOOL?
In 2020, TV production – including all four soaps, shut down because of COVID-19. Then, when Days of our Lives resumed filming, Melissa Reeves had to make a choice. She and her husband Scott Reeves, also a soap veteran (Steven Webber, General Hospital – Ryan McNeil, Young and the Restless), live on the other side of the country.
They reside in Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. Prior to the pandemic, it wasn’t such a big deal for Melissa to commute to LA to film as Jennifer for DOOL. But travel restrictions made this much harder. Plus, the Jennifer Horton actress reportedly worried about travel during the height of coronavirus.
In August 2020, just prior to her departure from the soap, Melissa and Scott Reeves became first-time grandparents. And that factored into her decision to step back from the NBC show, reportedly. Melissa Reeves was last seen on our TV screens as Jennifer on Days of our Lives in October of 2020.
But the big question is – did she leave the soap for good? Or is this just a temporary thing? The official word at the time of her exit was that it was not a permanent split with the show and that she would be back as Jennifer eventually.
Jennifer Off-Screen – Will She Return with Melissa in the Part on Days of our Lives?
Now, with vaccinations available and travel restrictions easing more by the day, perhaps Melissa Reeves will reconsider and come back to the role of Jennifer Horton on DOOL. For now, though, in terms of storyline, Jennifer’s not needed front and center. Abigail’s reportedly hiding out with her mom.
That’s because Jack’s bonding with his new daughter, Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) on Days of our Lives. And Chad DiMera’s (Billy Flynn) upset about the role his wife supposedly played in Gwen miscarrying his child. No doubt, the truth will come out that Gwen lost the baby before she fell down the stairs.
For now, we may not see Jennifer Horton for a while – and if we do, we’d expect just phone calls on DOOL. But once Marci Miller’s off of her baby leave, then perhaps Jennifer will return – and then fans might get their wish to see Melissa Reeves back on their TV screens. Or maybe not…
It sure looks like Mrs. Reeves is pretty happy where she is. She and her hubby Scott are refurbishing a home in the country and posting DIY videos of their remodeling efforts. Plus, she’s now got a second grandchild (see above) and seems over the moon to play with the babies. Wait to see but time away might have cemented Melissa Reeves’ decision to stay gone from the soap.
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