Days Of Our Lives
DAYTIME RUMOR MILL! Is Lily Brooks O’Briant Trading Y&R for DAYS to Play Sydney DiMera?!
A juicy RUMOR is making the rounds that Lily Brooks O’Briant could be leaving Y&R to play Sydney DiMera on Days of Our Lives this summer.
LILY BROOKS O’BRIANT MIGHT BE THE NEXT SYDNEY DIMERA
TL;DR: A juicy casting RUMOR is making the rounds. Y&R’s Lily Brooks O’Briant, who currently plays Lucy Romalotti, may be heading to Days of Our Lives to play Sydney DiMera. Dan Feuerriegel is following her on Instagram. Fans have spotted her in the DAYS 60th anniversary cast photo. The debut is reportedly slated for June or July. NONE of this is officially confirmed yet, but the receipts are stacking up.
The Receipts Are Stacking and Salem Is Watching
Lily Brooks O’Briant might be packing her bags from Genoa City and heading straight to Salem, and the receipts are starting to stack.
A juicy casting rumor is making the rounds. The Y&R actress, who currently plays Lucy Romalotti, has been spotted following and being followed by a DAYS heavy hitter on Instagram. She has been tagged in the Days of Our Lives 60th anniversary cast photo. And fans are convinced she is the next Sydney DiMera.
None of this is officially confirmed. DAYS has not announced the casting. Lily has not posted about it. Y&R has not commented on her status. But every breadcrumb the internet has dug up this week points in the same direction, and the soap world loves a quiet defection.
The unhinged theory: Lily Brooks O’Briant is the new Sydney DiMera, the debut is set for June or July, and Salem is about to gain a new EJ daughter in time for the next big DiMera arc.
Got a wild theory on what Sydney is walking back into in Salem? Send your hottest takes to amber@soapoperamagazine.com. We want every receipt, every prediction, every spicy speculation.
The Soap Insider Who Broke the Story First
The rumor started picking up steam after soap insider Lisa Neuman posted the casting tip on social media, naming Lily directly and flagging the Dan Feuerriegel Instagram follow as the receipt to watch. Neuman has the kind of soap-industry sourcing that gets quoted in casting rumors before the official press releases drop, and her post is what turned a quiet Instagram follow into a Sydney DiMera theory the fandom is now running with.
Neuman raised the possibility that Sofia, the current actress in the Sydney orbit, may have been recast — or that Lily is being brought in to play a brand-new DiMera. Either way, the post is the closest thing this rumor has to an industry source, and the Sydney name is on the table because Neuman put it there.
Fans tried to back up the rumor by circling a blonde in the recent DAYS 60th anniversary cast photo, claiming it was Lily making an early appearance. It turned out to be Amanda Corday, EP Ken Corday’s daughter. Wrong lead. Right rumor.
Nope. Lilly Brooks O'Briant is playing Sydney Dimera. Dan Feuerriegel is following her on instagram. She should show up sometime in June or July. It's possible that Sofia has been recast or this girl is playing her sister. We will see. #Days pic.twitter.com/dGvd9Ot0b0
— Lisa Neuman (@UltraHottie2000) May 20, 2026
The Dan Feuerriegel Instagram Follow That Has Fans Talking
The receipts started with an Instagram follow. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Dan Feuerriegel, the DAYS leading man currently playing EJ DiMera, was following Lily on Instagram. Dan does not follow young actresses who play soap roles on other networks unless there is a professional reason to be paying attention.
Industry watchers tend to notice when DAYS regulars start following potential castmates online. It is the kind of soft confirmation soap journalists have been clocking for years. The follow does not prove anything on its own. But combined with the rest of the breadcrumbs, the follow is what got the rumor mill rolling.
Recast or Sister? The Theories Are Splitting
The big question is whether Lily is stepping into a role that already exists or stepping into a new one. The fan theory has been splitting two ways. One camp says Sydney has been recast and Lily is the new face. The other camp says Lily is playing a brand new DiMera, possibly Sydney’s sister or a long-lost cousin in the EJ orbit.
Either way, Salem is getting another woman in the DiMera mansion. Either way, EJ is about to have another daughter or niece dragging him into the next family drama. Either way, the soap rumor mill is calling Lily the most interesting casting potential of the summer.
The June or July Debut Window
The timing is the part that has fans the most worked up. Lily’s debut is reportedly slated for June or July, which lines up perfectly with the back half of the DAYS storyline calendar. Summer is when soaps drop their biggest bombshells. Summer is when new contracts kick in. Summer is when Salem usually welcomes a fresh DiMera or Brady into the mix.
If the rumor is true, Lily Brooks O’Briant will be on Salem screens before the Fourth of July fireworks. Y&R fans will lose their Lucy Romalotti. DAYS fans will gain a new face in the DiMera family tree. And Soap Opera Magazine will be there to break it the second the official press release drops.
For now, all of this is RUMOR. None of it is confirmed. But the internet has receipts, and the receipts are pointing one direction.
Bring popcorn. Lily Brooks O’Briant might be the next big Salem casting, and if she is, the DiMera family is about to get a brand new headache. Stay tuned.
Recast or new DiMera? Drop your verdict in the comments on our Facebook page.
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