Casting BOMBSHELL! Days of Our Lives Blindsides Four Young Actors With Shocking Post-Holiday Firings

CARSON BOATMAN, RAVEN BOWENS, ASHLEY PUZEMIS, AND LEO HOWARD ARE OUT AT DAYS OF OUR LIVES

TL;DR: Days of Our Lives laid off four young cast members immediately after the Christmas hiatus, including Carson Boatman and Raven Bowens, who play fan-favorite couple “Janel.” The actors were blindsided, and remaining cast members are reportedly living in fear.

Four DAYS Stars Given Walking Papers After Christmas Break

Welcome back from the holidays, Days of Our Lives fans. Hope you enjoyed your eggnog because the show just dropped a bombshell that has the entire cast reeling.

Carson Boatman, Raven Bowens, Ashley Puzemis, and Leo Howard have all been let go from Days of Our Lives in what insiders are calling a “New Year bloodbath.” All four actors were handed their walking papers within a single day of returning from the Christmas hiatus. No warning. No heads up. Just “thanks for your service, here’s the door.”

Carson Boatman, who has played legacy character Johnny DiMera since 2020, was reportedly in the middle of renegotiating his contract when the axe fell. Raven Bowens, who plays his onscreen wife Chanel DiMera, had just talked about her future on the show at the 60th anniversary celebration in November. She told E! there was “a lot coming up” for her character, including “a miracle” and “a tragedy.”

Well. She wasn’t wrong about the tragedy part.

Write in to the editor at [email protected] and tell us how you’re feeling about these exits!

The Timing Could Not Be Worse

Here’s what makes this whole situation even more baffling: Days of Our Lives has spent months talking about the importance of bringing in younger talent to attract Gen Z and Millennial viewers. So naturally, they fired four of their youngest cast members. Make it make sense.

Ashley Puzemis, who plays Holly Jonas, literally just won Soap Central’s award for Best Emerging Talent in December. Leo Howard took over the role of Tate Black in April 2024 and had been building a solid fanbase alongside Puzemis. Their characters were in the middle of a love triangle with Sophia Choi that fans were actually invested in.

Carson Boatman and Raven Bowens were being positioned as a future legacy couple. “Janel” fans watched Johnny and Chanel get married, get annulled (thanks, demonic possession), get remarried, suffer a miscarriage, and adopt a baby. That’s a lot of emotional investment for a storyline that apparently ends with “we’ve decided to switch things up.”

The Cast Is Living in Fear

According to insiders, the remaining Days of Our Lives cast members are shaken. If four actors with major storylines can get cut without warning, nobody feels safe. One source described the atmosphere as “dread, chaos, and fear.” Happy New Year, Salem!

Carson Boatman, for his part, is handling it with grace. He released a statement saying he’s “incredibly grateful for the past five years” and has “nothing but love and respect for everyone over there.” He also reminded fans that due to the show’s 10-month tape-to-air gap, Johnny DiMera will be on screen for quite a while yet.

DAYS Has Been Through a Lot Lately

To be fair, Days of Our Lives has had a rough few years. The show lost several beloved veterans including John Aniston (Victor Kiriakis) in 2022, and Bill Hayes (Doug Williams), Wayne Northrop (Roman Brady), and Drake Hogestyn (John Black) all passed away in 2024. Suzanne Rogers (Maggie Horton) battled stage 2 colon cancer last year before returning in November.

The show also parted ways with Arianne Zucker after more than two decades when her contract wasn’t renewed following her sexual harassment lawsuit against director Albert Alarr. They settled last October.

New head writers Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford took over in July 2024, with their episodes airing starting in April 2025. Whether these layoffs are part of their creative vision or a budget decision remains unclear.

What Happens Now?

The big question is whether Johnny, Chanel, Holly, and Tate will be recast or written out entirely. Days of Our Livesloves a good recast, and they’ve already made several in recent months. But replacing four popular young actors at once is a gamble, especially when you’ve been publicly courting younger viewers.

A spokesperson for the show offered the classic non-answer: “What may seem sudden is part of long-range storytelling decisions.”

Sure, Jan.

Drop a comment below and tell us: Are you devastated about these firings or do you think DAYS can recover with recasts?