Days of Our Lives Spoilers: Nikki Crawford Rumored as Recast Lexie Carver in EJ’s Tube Mystery

TL;DR: Rumors are swirling that Tony-nominated actress Nikki Crawford may be joining Days of Our Lives as a recast Lexie Carver. EJ DiMera’s Christmas Eve apology to a cryogenic tube and the winter preview showing Paulina’s horrified reaction have fans convinced Abe’s late wife is about to walk back into Salem.

EJ DiMera’s Secret Lab Has Everyone Talking

Something sinister is happening behind EJ DiMera’s clinic, and Days of Our Lives fans are losing their minds trying to figure out what it is.

For months, EJ has been building what he calls an “impenetrable” laboratory. Dr. Wilhelm Rolf is running experiments. Gwen Rizczech keeps popping up in scenes that hint at resurrection technology. And then came Christmas Eve, when EJ walked into that secret lab, stood in front of a cryogenic tube, and said the words that launched a thousand fan theories: “I’m sorry for what happened, so sorry.”

Sorry to whom? And for what?

The timing is everything here. EJ’s apology came immediately after his nephew Theo Carver was hospitalized following the DiMera crypt crisis. Theo nearly died in those tunnels. The same tunnels where his mother, Lexie Carver, was held prisoner years ago. The same tunnels where toxic fumes caused the brain tumors that killed her in June 2012.

Coincidence? In Salem? Please.

If you have thoughts about where this storyline is headed, write to our editor at amber@soapoperamagazine.com and share your theory!

The Winter Preview Gave Us a Massive Clue

The Days of Our Lives winter preview showed EJ bringing Paulina Price to the laboratory. He tells her he has something to show her. The cryogenic chamber opens. And Paulina looks absolutely mortified.

Now ask yourself: what reveal would cause Paulina Price Carver to react like that? Stefano DiMera? She barely knew the man. Some random DiMera villain? She’d be annoyed, not horrified. But Lexie Carver, the late wife of Paulina’s current husband Abe? The woman whose memory Abe has never fully processed?

That would devastate her.

Paulina married Abe Carver believing she was his future. She supported him through his amnesia storyline. She stood by him during every crisis. But if Lexie is alive in that chamber, Paulina’s entire marriage becomes a giant question mark. Abe never fully moved on. Longtime viewers saw it during his memory loss arc. The grief was always there, just beneath the surface.

Nikki Crawford Casting Rumors Are Heating Up

Here’s where things get really interesting. A January 14, 2026 report from Daily Soap Dish claims that Tony-nominated actress Nikki Crawford is set to portray Lexie Carver in a major recast. Crawford, an Obie Award winner known for her acclaimed work in Fat Ham, would bring serious prestige to the role originally made iconic by Renée Jones.

This is unconfirmed. No official casting announcement has been made. But the rumor refuses to die, and when you combine it with everything happening in the EJ DiMera storyline, the pieces fit together almost too perfectly.

Renée Jones exited the role in 2012 and publicly discussed leaving acting for a quieter life. If the show wanted to bring Lexie back, a recast would be the only option. And hiring someone of Crawford’s caliber would signal that this isn’t just a stunt return. This is a legacy pivot designed to reshape the Carver family for years to come.

What Does This Mean for Theo Carver?

Let’s talk about the person who stands to be most affected by this reveal: Theo Carver.

Tyler Joseph Andrews has been playing Theo since September 2025, and the character has been right in the middle of the crypt chaos. He was kidnapped. He was injured. He’s currently recovering in University Hospital while his family processes the trauma.

Now imagine Theo discovering that his mother has been alive this entire time. That she was preserved in some kind of suspended animation while he grew up without her. While he grieved. While he built a life believing she was gone forever.

The emotional fallout would be nuclear. And EJ, the uncle who kept this secret, would have a lot to answer for.

Do you think Lexie Carver is really in that tube? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let’s debate!

WATCH THIS:

@soapoperamag Just put EJ and Gwen together and get it over with! First off, they would be so HOT together. Secondly, they would be DANGEROUS! It's everything I could ever want in a soapy coupling! #DAYS ♬ original sound – Soap Opera Magazine