Days of our Lives' Victoria Konefal has once again left the NBC soap opera, bringing an end to her time as Ciara Brady.
Soap Opera Digest reports that the actress will make her last appearances on Friday, July 8, when Ciara and Ben (Robert Scott Wilson) leave town to meet Hope (Kristian Alfonso) on Beyond Salem, and on Monday, July 11, when the pair arrives in Montreal.
The soap's head writer, Ron Carlivati, tells the magazine that he understands that some performers have a desire to "spread their wings and seek employment elsewhere," but in the case of Konefal, "she really just wasn't available on a regular basis, and in the way our show works and how you have to schedule people, it just became less feasible to keep her in that status."
Carlivati also explained that when there's a story to tell surrounding a couple, "you need these people to be on contract."
Fans have seen Konefal leave before, and Ciara was famously "killed" in the past to accommodate the actress' desire to pursue other projects. The move was unpopular with fans, as it didn't give Ben and Ciara -- nicknamed "Cin" -- a satisfying ending. This time, however, the show left the door open.
"The couple is so popular, you want them to have a happy ending," Carlivati shares. "But then that involved writing Rob off the show, who doesn't necessarily want to leave."
So, what does that mean for Robert Scott Wilson? Will this be the last that fans see of Ben Weston, as well? To find out what Carlivati had to say on the matter, click here.
As for Konefal and her exit, Carlivati says, "it's really very hard for us. It is always painful to lose one person." But again, "The door's always open for them to come back."
Konefal joned DAYS in 2017. Some of her other credits include Forgetting Sandy Glass, Modern Family, The Wrong Crush, Deadly Exchange, and Circus Kane.
What do you think about Victoria Konefal exiting DAYS? How do you feel about the way the show chose to handle her exit this time around? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
