Leo Stark’s Happily Ever After With Javi Hernandez Crashes and Burns on Monday’s DAYS

LEO STARK AND JAVI HERNANDEZ’S HONEYMOON PHASE ENDS BEFORE IT EVEN STARTS

TL;DR: Days of Our Lives spoilers for Monday, January 5 reveal Leo Stark and Javi Hernandez face a life-altering challenge involving Dimitri von Leuschner’s return, Gwen Rizczech finds herself in hot water for bringing Dimitri back, and Sarah Horton rings in the New Year with Brady Black while Holly Jonas delivers a surprise to Tate Black!

Leo Stark and Javi Hernandez Face Their First Married Crisis

Monday’s Days of Our Lives episode brings devastating drama when Leo Stark and Javi Hernandez face a life-altering challenge that threatens their brand-new marriage! After finally tying the knot on New Year’s Eve with Marlena Evans officiating and Chad DiMera as their witness, the happy couple is about to discover that Salem weddings NEVER stay drama-free for long.

The life-altering challenge almost certainly involves Dimitri von Leuschner showing up to wreck Leo’s happiness! Research confirms that Dimitri crashed Leo and Javi’s wedding reception, kissed Leo, and proclaimed his undying love—leaving poor Javi to wonder what fresh hell just walked into his marriage. According to actor Peter Porte, Dimitri went through torture in supermax prison and never wanted to end things with Leo. That breakup letter Leo received? Completely FORGED, probably by Gwen Rizczech herself!

So now Leo is caught between the husband he just married and the ex-husband who claims he was framed. That sounds like a life-altering challenge if we’ve ever heard one! Will Leo believe Dimitri’s story about the fake letter? Will Javi fight for his marriage or step aside? Monday’s episode sets up this explosive love triangle that will dominate the week!

Do you think Leo should believe Dimitri about the forged letter? Is Javi going to LOSE his husband after five minutes of marriage? Email your theories and predictions to amber@soapoperamagazine.com!

Gwen Rizczech Finds Herself In HOT WATER

Monday also reveals that Gwen Rizczech finds herself in hot water, and we can guess EXACTLY why! Gwen is the one who brought Dimitri back to Salem to cause chaos at Leo’s wedding. She told EJ DiMera they did a “bang-up job” making Dimitri disappear after helping EJ and Dr. Rolf with their secret lab projects, so Gwen has been sitting on MAJOR secrets. And where do we think the fake letter CAME from?

But now Dimitri is back and probably furious with Gwen for forging that breakup letter to Leo! If Dimitri realizes Gwen manipulated both him AND Leo to destroy their relationship, he’s going to be LIVID. The hot water Gwen finds herself in could be Dimitri threatening to expose everything she’s been hiding!

Gwen sat front row at Leo’s wedding looking “completely annoyed and frustrated” that her ex-bestie was getting his dream wedding when Leo wrecked Gwen’s marriage to Dimitri. Now her revenge plan is backfiring SPECTACULARLY, and Days of Our Lives fans are HERE for it!

Julie Olson Williams Advises Jeremy Horton

Monday brings an interesting moment when Julie Olson Williams advises Jeremy Horton about something. Jeremy has been teaching at Salem Elementary and trying to make amends for his past behavior, especially toward his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Johnson.

What advice does Julie have for Jeremy? Is she warning him to stay away from Stephanie now that she’s with Alex Kiriakis? Whatever Julie tells Jeremy, it’s probably wise advice!

Holly Jonas Surprises Tate Black

Holly Jonas surprises Tate Black on Monday, and this could go one of two ways! Holly just returned from her holiday in Paris, and spoilers suggest she’s coming back with a new attitude that’s NOT pleasant.

Is Holly breaking up with Tate? Is she revealing something shocking she did in Paris? Or is this a positive surprise and Holly’s bad attitude kicks in later this week? Based on recent storylines, Holly has been changing and not necessarily for the better.

Sarah Horton Rings In The New Year With Brady Black

Monday also shows Sarah Horton ringing in the New Year with Brady Black, which means their romance is HEATING UP! Sarah and Brady recently shared a kiss, and now they’re celebrating the start of 2026 together. The timing makes sense since Sarah just finalized her divorce from Xander Cook, and Brady has been incredibly supportive.

Sarah and Brady bonded over shared experiences with love and loss, and they both understand what it’s like to have complicated relationships. But spoilers suggest this romance isn’t built to last!

The week ahead promises Xander lashing out at Brady on Friday, so clearly Xander is NOT handling Sarah moving on very well. But for now, Sarah and Brady are enjoying their New Year’s celebration together!

Will Sarah and Brady’s romance last or is she heading back to Xander? Should Leo choose Javi or Dimitri? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!