Days of our Lives recap, April 29, 2025: Johnny drops a bombshell

Here's your Days of our Lives recap for Tuesday, April 29, 2025, when Johnny tells Chanel he doesn't want to go through with the adoption, and Tate and Sophia's hopes are crushed.

What happened on Days of our Lives

At the Brady Pub, Xander and Sarah ate dinner before she started an overnight shift at the hospital. Xander announced that he would head into the office so that he could work and avoid his brother. “Do you really think that Philip will show up at the office?” Sarah asked. “Until legal weighs in on the best way to remove him from his co-CEO role, I’m stuck with him,” Xander said. Sarah told Xander that she was sorry that he was going through the situation with Philip.

Xander said he believed the truth would come out eventually. “I know that you’re worried about the board and the investors finding out about Philip’s lies. But you didn’t do anything wrong,” Sarah said. Sarah reminded Xander that he had led the company to a huge victory.

“Right. But now I’m keeping the secret. That makes me complicit,” Xander said. “Can’t the argument be made that you were doing it for the greater good?” Sarah asked. With a shrug, Xander said yes. Xander countered that the better option was to be honest sooner rather than later. “Mitigate the damage,” Xander said. Sarah thought about Maggie’s advice not to tell Xander the truth, and then she took Xander’s hand.

“I get the temptation to want to come clean. And clear your conscience, get it over with. But you just have to remember that you’re doing this to protect your family. So all you can really do is hold on to that, and believe in your heart that everything is going to work out,” Sarah said. Xander noted that whenever he mentioned Philip, it visibly upset Sarah. Sarah told Xander that she wanted him to be okay. With a grin, Xander suggested that they finally take their honeymoon.

“Through all this Kiriakis craziness, you’ve been my one steady pillar. My light in the fog. We’ll have dozens of anniversaries to celebrate in the future. But why don’t we try and make this first one as special as we can,” Xander said. “That sounds perfect,” Sarah said. Sarah’s phone beeped with a message from the hospital. “You and Victoria are my world. Everything that I did, everything that I do, is for you,” Sarah said. “Right back at you, my darling Sarah,” Xander said.

Holly returned to her room at the Kiriakis mansion, and Doug III poked his head out of the bathroom. “I should probably tell my grandma you’re staying here,” Holly said. Doug was unsure, but Holly argued that Maggie would be compassionate to Doug’s situation. Doug asked Holly if they could wait a couple of days until he heard back about some job applications.

“If all goes well, I should have enough money to get my own place soon,” Doug said. Holly forced a smile, and she offered to pick up a pizza for dinner. After Holly left the room, her smile fell away. In the bedroom, Doug received a call on his cell from a prospective employer. The store asked Doug to meet them for an interview before closing.

As Doug attempted to exit Holly’s bedroom, Maggie rounded the corner, but she did not see him. Trapped in the room, Doug waited for the coast to clear. Philip passed Maggie in the hallway. “Henderson told me no one was here. I just came to get the rest of my stuff,” Philp said. Philip said he understood how upset Maggie must be with him. “Do you? Because I can’t express how disgusted I am with you,” Maggie said. “You have every right to be,” Philip said. Maggie said she had a lot of experience learning about lies in the family.

“What is so unconscionable is that, to cover up your own terrible choices, you roped in innocent people to lie for you,” Maggie said. In Holly’s bedroom, a guilt-ridden Doug listened to the discussion in the hallway, and he looked over at a photo of Holly.

In the hallway, Philip said he had not wanted to hurt anyone. “You stole from your brother, and you didn’t care who got caught in the crossfire of your lies,” Maggie argued. “I’m not proud of what I did. But let’s be honest here. Victor was my father, too,” Philip countered. Philip reminded Maggie that Victor had wanted Philip to be a part of his legacy. “Well, there are other ways to pursue that, legal ways that don’t involve Vivian,” Maggie said. Philip admitted that he had been desperate when Vivian had reached out to him.

“You’ve seen how Xander and I got close, how we’ve managed to be not just partners, but real brothers. Leads me to believe that we can find a way to get through this as a family. Is that not possible?” Philip said. Maggie said no.

When Doug thought the coast was clear, he crept out of Holly’s room. “Who the hell are you?” Philip asked. Doug explained the situation. Philip asked if anyone else knew that Doug was living in the house. “No, but I just applied for this job, and I have an interview tonight. So if I get the gig, then I can afford my own place,” Doug said.

When Doug asked Philip if he planned to tell Maggie, Philip said no. “I won’t lie for you, but I won’t go out of my way to tell my family about their secret houseguest either,” Philip said. Doug thanked Philip. Philip advised Doug to tell the truth before his secret was discovered.

In the town square, Sophia was exiting a dress shop when she ran into Tate. Sophia said she had purchased multiple dresses. “I’m sure whatever you wear, you’ll look great,” Tate said. With a nod, Sophia said she wanted to treat the prom like a celebration of the adoption. Tate promised that they would have a fun time at the dance.

“I don’t know how I would have gotten through this last year without you,” Sophia said. “We’re in this together. Always were,” Tate said. Tate hugged Sophia. Holly entered the square. Tate hurriedly stepped away from Sophia, and he greeted Holly.

“Don’t mind me, I’m just picking up some pizza,” Holly said. “It’s okay. We were just celebrating,” Tate said. Tate explained that Amy had approved Johnny and Chanel to adopt the baby. “And we decided to celebrate by going to the prom together,” Sophia said cheerily. “Prom?” Holly stammered. Sophia told Holly that she hoped they would see her there. “Congrats again. The baby is going to have really amazing parents,” Holly said before she walked off.

Sophia and Tate sat at a table in the cafe, and Sophia asked Tate what he was thinking about. “Just how lucky we are to have found Johnny and Chanel. You know, gonna give our baby a really great life,” Tate said. Sophia agreed. Tate suggested that they get a gift for the adoptive parents. With a grin, Sophia pulled a scrapbook out of one of her shopping bags.

In the Price-Carver living room, Johnny told Chanel that he wanted to talk to her about the adoption. Panicked, Chanel asked if Amy had changed her mind again. “No, it’s nothing like that,” Johnny said. Chanel sighed with relief. “I’m not sure if I can go through with the adoption,” Johnny confessed. Chanel gasped.

“Since when are you having doubts?” Chanel asked. Johnny explained that since he had learned the truth about his conception, he had felt lost. “And to bring a child into my life right now, it wouldn’t be fair. Not to them, not to you. Not when I can’t be the father that that baby deserves,” Johnny said. Chanel asked Johnny why he had not said anything sooner.

“Because I thought the adoption was off,” Johnny said. Chanel told Johnny that she understood that he was confused, and she urged him to work through his problems in therapy. With a shake of his head, Johnny said he did not know if he could be ready in time for the baby. Johnny argued that they needed to give Tate and Sophia time to find other adoptive parents.

“But we are the best candidates, Johnny!” Chanel cried out. Chanel told Johnny that she already felt like the baby’s mother. “And I know your heart, okay? And I know that as soon as you see that baby’s face, you will fall in love,” Chanel said. As tears welled in Johnny’s eyes, he said he was not sure that he would. “But you trust me, right?” Chanel asked. “More than anything,” Johnny whispered. Chanel assured Johnny that he was not his father.

“[EJ] has already taken enough from you and your mother. Please, don’t let him take away our chance to start a family,” Chanel pleaded. Chanel told Johnny that she understood why he had doubts, but that she did not. “Let me be certain enough for the both of us,” Chanel said.

“I really want to believe you. And I almost do,” Johnny said. Johnny confessed that he was worried that he would not be a good father and that Chanel would resent him. Johnny argued that he was concerned that EJ’s cruelty was genetic. “You are a good person with a good heart. And how you were conceived has nothing to do with the man that you are,” Chanel said. Johnny stressed that he needed to be sure of his sense of self before he could become a parent.

“What about what I need?” Chanel yelled. Chanel noted that Johnny was breaking her heart. “That’s the last thing I ever wanted to do,” Johnny said. Chanel chuckled ruefully. “And here you are making this decision for both of us,” Chanel said. Chanel told Johnny that the only thing she wanted was to start a family with him. “Do you even know if you’ll ever want that?” Chanel asked. Before Johnny could answer, Tate and Sophia knocked on the door.

“Is this a bad time?” Tate asked. Chanel kept her back to the front door and she stifled her sobs. Sophia walked in and said, “Tate and I were so touched by the flowers that you guys got for us that we wanted to do something special for you.” Sophia asked Chanel if she was okay. “Yeah. We were just talking about something really heavy,” Chanel said. Sophia held out the scrapbook and she noted it was for baby pictures. Chanel thanked Sophia for the thoughtful gift.

“Are you sure everything’s fine?” Tate asked. “I don’t want to make this any more difficult than it needs to be,” Johnny said. Chanel pleaded with Johnny to wait. “I’m sorry. The sooner the better,” Johnny said. “For what?” Sophia asked. Johnny put his arm around Chanel, and he said that they could not adopt the baby. Confused, Sophia asked why.

“If you could just give us some time to work through this,” Chanel said. “Work through what?” Sophia asked. Johnny told Chanel, “We have to be honest with them.” Johnny whispered an apology to Chanel.

“Look, when we told you guys that we wanted to adopt your baby a few months back, we meant it. We meant it from the bottom of our hearts. But so much has changed,” Johnny said. Johnny explained that his reasons were personal and that he was not sure that he was ready to be a father. “I really am sorry,” Johnny said. Sophia started to cry. “No!” Sophia shouted. Sophia ran out, and Tate ran after her. Chanel broke down in tears. As Johnny walked toward her, she turned away.

“I know that was awful, Chanel, okay. But Tate and Sophia deserve to know the truth,” Johnny said. Chanel wheeled around. “Your truth, not mine. You just dropped this bombshell on me. We didn’t even get a chance to finish discussing it before you called off the adoption,” Chanel growled. Johnny apologized. With a sigh, Chanel asked Johnny to leave.

“Go back to the mansion. Your father’s not there. I just can’t be around you right now,” Chanel said. “We can work this out,” Johnny said. Chanel turned away again. “How? I can’t even look at you,” Chanel whispered. Hurt, Johnny stammered, “You don’t mean that.” Chanel yelled at Johnny to go. Once Johnny was gone, Chanel started to sob.

In the town square, Tate walked with Sophia, and she wondered aloud, “Why did Johnny just change his mind?” “I don’t know. But you know, there’s still time to look for other parents,” Tate said. Sophia said she did not believe they could find anyone that Amy would approve of. “What are we gonna do?” Sophia asked. Tate’s phone rang with a call from Holly. Tate rejected the call. Tate promised that they would figure out the situation together.

At the hospital, Maggie said hello to Julie. “I found out that you were volunteering again,” Maggie said. “Trying to keep busy. Trying to be useful,” Julie said. Maggie asked about Bo. “You know Hope. She’s putting up a brave front,” Julie said. Maggie explained that she was dropping off a donation for the hospital, and she hoped it would help. “I’m sure that money is going to help more than you have any idea,” Julie said. Julie said she liked helping people at the hospital, but that she did not feel like she was very useful.

“I know you’re cheering people up the way only you can,” Maggie said. Julie thanked Maggie. “I thought my life was over, because [Doug] was gone. But then you, the family, the friends were so kind to me. So supportive, so loving. It was a great comfort. And in some ways, it eased the grief. But now, I'm not so self-assured. And I seem to be oh, just upset by every little thing,” Julie said. “[Especially] since young Doug moved out?” Maggie asked. Julie reminded Maggie that she had thrown Doug III out.

“So you miss him,” Maggie said. Julie said no. “I miss the person I thought he was. What he did was despicable,” Julie said. Maggie smirked, and she reminded Julie of her past as a shoplifter. “You want to equate a teenager acting compulsively to get attention with a young man who breaks into his family’s home, steals a family heirloom, sells it, comes back to that same family home looking for love and support?” Julie said. Maggie told Julie she was not wrong, but that everyone made mistakes.

“Even good people. I’m realizing that more and more lately,” Maggie said. Maggie asked Julie if that meant that she would never forgive Doug III. “How could I trust him again?” Julie said. Maggie asked Julie if she knew where to find Doug. Julie said no, and she did not care. Julie noted that it was time to go home. With a sigh, Julie said that at home, she still forgot that Doug was gone.

“I start upstairs to the bedroom to tell my darling that it’s time for the Cubs game. Or I’ll hear a wonderful joke, and I’m rushing home to tell him,” Julie said. With a chuckle, Maggie noted that Doug loved to laugh. “It still happens to me sometimes when I think about Victor,” Maggie admitted. Julie said that she did not mind when she forgot that Doug was gone, because for a few minutes, it was like Doug was only a room away. “I know what you mean,” Maggie whispered. Maggie told Julie that she hoped that in the future Julie could remember Doug and it would warm her heart instead of breaking it.

As Julie left, Sarah rounded the corner and greeted her mother. “I was thinking about what you said at the fundraiser. You’re right. No good can come of me admitting to Xander that I knew what Philip did. The only way to move forward is just to love my husband, my daughter, and just let go of the past,” Sarah said. Maggie hugged Sarah.

In the square, Doug III was walking through the square when his bookie called him. “What do you mean I owe more? What the hell is a vig? Interest?” Doug said. Doug promised to get money to the man once he found a job. “That’s not my house. I swear, I’m not rich. Wait. How do you know where I’m staying,” Doug said. The bookie ended the call.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Holly returned to her room with a pizza, but Doug was not there. Holly found a note, which read, “Sorry to dash, but I can’t keep getting you into trouble. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and for being a better friend than I deserve. Doug.” In the square, Doug looked up homeless shelters on his phone.

At the Titan offices, Xander was working at his desk when Philip walked in. “You’re working late. Or maybe you were hoping to not run into me,” Philip said. “I don’t want you in this company. I don’t even want you in Salem,” Xander said without looking at his brother. “I get that. I meant it when I said I regret hurting you. And I’m not trying to make things worse,” Philip said. Philip refused to walk away from the company.

“We both know you’re not going to throw me out. Not unless you’re willing to lose everything we fought for these last few months,” Philip said. Xander stood and leaned in close. “Are you absolutely sure about that?” Xander asked. Philip argued that it was a bad idea to throw away something that their father had wanted to accomplish his whole life. “We accomplished it. Together,” Philip said. Xander agreed. “I won’t let you take this from me as well. But there are other ways to force out a partner,” Xander said. Xander ordered Philip to move his desk out of the office.

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