Soaps are no strangers to shock exits, heart-stopping plot twists, and in the case of Days of Our Lives – recasting.
But even seasoned actors of the Peacock soap were left in disbelief after four cast members were brutally cut from the beloved show after returning from the Christmas break.
The daytime soap, which has come up against ailing cast members, death and a change of writers in recent years, has dropped regulars Carson Boatman, Raven Bowens, Ashley Puzemis and Leo Howard, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.
Culling four younger cast members is a somewhat perplexing decision given the long-running soap has espoused the importance of bringing in new and younger talent to target Gen Z and Millennial viewers in recent months.
‘It was a New Year bloodbath at Days of Our Lives this month as the cast returned from a Christmas hiatus,’ an insider told the Daily Mail.
‘Four cast members were immediately let go. Carson Boatman, Raven Bowens, Ashley Puzemis and Leo Howard were given their walking papers in a shock move as soon as the show resumed taping after the holidays.
Carson Boatman (pictured), Raven Bowens, Ashley Puzemis and Leo Howard were axed in a shock lay-off on returning to Days of Our Lives after the Christmas hiatus, the Daily Mail can reveal
Bowens, 35, who plays Boatman’s onscreen wife Chanel DiMera, only recently talked about her future on the show, telling E! that ‘there’s a lot coming up’
‘Days decided they needed to switch things up. All four actors were let go last week within a day of getting back from the show’s holiday hiatus. They were totally blindsided, especially Carson who was in the middle of renegotiating a new contract.’
Boatman, 31, joined the show in 2020 as the legacy character Johnny DiMera, the husband of Bowens’ Chanel DiMera, with the pair collectively known as ‘Janel’ by ardent fans.
Their characters married during Christmas 2021, but it was annulled shortly afterwards due to Johnny’s demonic possession which saw him engage in a one-night stand. But they reconciled in 2023 and said ‘I do’ for a second time on Valentine’s Day in 2024. Six months later Chanel fell pregnant but later suffered a miscarriage. In November they adopted their son Trey.
The storyline seemed to be a promising move to cementing the young DiMera’s as one of the soaps legacy couples, with Boatman himself recently opening up about plans to remain long-term on Days.
‘I’ll take 25 or 50 [years] if we can get it,’ he told E! at the 60th anniversary celebration of Days back in November.
Boatman is also part of the Dayplayers band – a musical troupe made up of his male costars Eric Martsolf, Wally Kurth and Brandon Barash. They recently announced 10 shows, kicking off in Florida on January 24.
Speaking at the same event – Bowens, 35, who plays Boatman’s onscreen wife Chanel DiMera – also talked about her future on the show, telling E! that ‘there’s a lot coming up.’
‘We both have jobs and so it’s like balancing our careers and our new baby, that we weren’t expecting to get,’ Bowens said of their characters. ‘So, now we’re just we’re figuring it all out… Then we’re going to be thrown a major surprise.’
Puzemis, 24, joined the show in 2023 as Holly Tate, the love interest of Tate Black, played by 28-year-old Howard (Puzemis and Howard pictured together in 2024)
News of the lay-offs ‘came as a shock to all of them,’ according to our insider who said ‘there were no warning signs whatsoever’ – with other cast members now said to be living in ‘fear’ (Bowens pictured with her costar Lucas Adams)
She then confirmed that it is in fact two surprises. ‘One is going to be a miracle, the other’s going to be a bit of a tragedy,’ she said. ‘But there’s a lot coming up. Stay tuned.’
Bowens, who replaced Precious Way as Chanel in July 2021, also opened up to Dishin Days about how she and Boatman are ‘definitely on the way’ to becoming a legacy couple.
‘I’m nervous to say that we are but I do think that we’ve gotten to a place now where it is Chanel and Johnny and I don’t know if people would accept that separation,’ she said. ‘That feels good and it feels nice to be a part of something strong and to also be a part of the younger couples.’
Puzemis, 24, joined the show in 2023 as Holly Tate, the daughter of Nicole Walker and the late Daniel Jonas. She won Soap Central’s award for Best Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series in December.
Meanwhile, Howard, 28, replaced Jamie Martin Mann as Tate Black, the son of Brady Black and Theresa Donovan – and Holly’s love interest – in April 2024.
The pair have been embroiled in a love triangle with Sophia Choi, played by Rachel Boyd, splitting up when Sophia fell pregnant and later reuniting when she put the child up for adoption.
News of the lay-offs ‘came as a shock to all of them,’ according to our insider who said ‘there were no warning signs whatsoever’ – with other cast members now said to be living in ‘fear’.
‘It was a big blow not only to the four actors, but also to the rest of the cast,’ they said. ‘If it can happen to four of the young cast who had major storylines, the general thought is it can happen to anyone.
‘It was a big blow not only to the four actors, but also to the rest of the cast,’ our source said. ‘If it can happen to four of the young cast who had major storylines, the general thought is it can happen to anyone’ (Puzemis pictured with Howard)
For Boatman, 31, there are no hard feelings, with the actor telling the Daily Mail that he is ‘incredibly grateful for the past five years’ (Boatman pictured on set)
‘There’s a major feeling of dread, chaos and fear now. The cast were excited to get back to work but four major lay-offs is what greeted them as soon as they returned.’
It is unclear if the latest lay-offs will see the four characters exiting the soap, which first aired on NBC in 1965, or whether there are plans to recast. Afterall, Days is no stranger to recasting.
In the last couple of months alone Alice Halsey took over the role of Rachel Black from Finley Rose Slater while Boyd replaced Madelyn Kientz as Sophia.
Conner Floyd, who played Chance Chancellor on The Young and the Restless, will make his debut in April as Chad DiMera having replaced Billy Flynn. It is not yet known who will replace Marissa Reyes as Ari Hernandez, Al Calderon as Javi Hernandez or Cary Christopher as Thomas DiMera who will all star this year.
For Boatman, there are no hard feelings, with the actor telling the Daily Mail that he is ‘incredibly grateful for the past five years’.
‘I have nothing but love and respect for everyone over there from top to bottom,’ he said in a statement. ‘The closing of this chapter is bittersweet for me as I’ve cherished every moment spent walking those halls and on the sound stages. A lot of tears, and a lot of laughter have been spilled on all those sets by so many people, including myself.
‘I am genuinely so excited to see what the future holds for me, as well as the show.’
With episodes filmed 10 months in advance, Boatman, who has a wife and child, will be onscreen for some time to come.
Days of Our Lives has also seen elderly cast members dying off or retiring in recent years
Suzanne Rogers, who joined the cast in 1973 and plays Maggie Horton, announced she was being treated for stage 2 colon cancer last year. But after undergoing treatment, she returned in November
Drake Hogestyn who played John Black died, aged 70, in 2024
He added: ‘P.S. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has been a fan of Johnny. The show tapes a LONG way in advance, so we’ll still be seeing a lot of him for quite a while.’
Major recasting has happened under the watch of co-head writers Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford who took over in July 2024, with their scenes airing from April 2025.
Their hiring was one of many changes to the show in recent years, including a string of deaths and ill health.
The show said goodbye to long-term cast favorites such as John Aniston, who played Victor Kiriakas and died in 2022 aged 89. Ninety-eight-year-old Bill Hayes, who played Doug Williams; Wayne Northrop, 77, who played Detective Roman Brady and Drake Hogestyn, 70, who played John Black all died last year.
Other stars who have died in recent years include Peggy McKay (Caroline Brady), Joseph Mascolo (Stefano DiMera) and family matriarch Frances Reid (Alice Horton).
Another show favorite, actress Suzanne Rogers, who joined the cast in 1973 and plays Maggie Horton, announced she was being treated for stage 2 colon cancer last year. But after undergoing months of chemotherapy and radiation, she returned to the show in November.
In 2024 the soap also lost Arianne Zucker, 51, who had played Nicole Walker for more than two decades. The actress’ contract was not renewed after she filed a lawsuit against director and executive producer Albert Alarr. She accused him of sexual harassment and discrimination, claiming he would ‘frequently grab and tightly hug’ her, ‘purposely pushing her breasts onto his chest, while moaning “Oh Ari!”‘
Alarr lost his job and they settled last October. He denied the allegations.
Addressing the New Year lay-offs, a spokesperson for Days said: ‘While we don’t comment on individual contracts or casting decisions, we have tremendous respect and appreciation for the actors who bring these characters to life. What may seem sudden is part of long-range storytelling decisions. Our goal is to balance the show’s rich history with where we’re headed creatively. Due to our long tape-to-air gap, any changes won’t be on screen for some time.’
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Howard, Bowens and Puzemis for comment.
