This article has been updated with a statement from Camila Banus explaining her decision to leave to DAYS.
Days of our Lives fans probably feel a bit like they have whiplash, having watched a slew of extremely popular actors and actresses exit the canvas in recent months. Unfortunately, another head-spinning cast change is right around the corner: Camila Banus is exiting the role of Gabi Hernandez later this month. Luckily for fans, their heads will be spinning in the other direction this fall when Banus returns to the show.
"Gabi's departure will... be brief and she will return later this fall to continue to stir up more trouble in Salem," Corday Productions told TV Insider.
Reports surfaced in July that the Florida native has wrapped up her time at the NBC soap opera and will soon be leaving Salem. The belief was that Banus wanted to make herself eligible for pilot season and a role on a primetime series. However, due to a lack of work brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the young actress reportedly decided to rejoin the soap when it resumes production in September.
As fans know, DAYS released all of its cast members from their contracts last fall as the soap negotiated its renewal with NBC, and many of the younger cast members were reportedly optimistic about suddenly being able to try their luck in primetime and film. Banus was likely one of them, having previously found some primetime success with roles in shows like ABC's Mistresses and Fox's Star. But with the entertainment industry seriously hurting from the coronavirus situation, behind-the-scenes sources say Banus may be reconsidering her decision to leave DAYS and may stay on as the character she has been playing on-again, off-again since 2010.
In the meantime, check out a recent interview in which Banus opens up about the major way Gabi has changed in recent years, and also check out some behind-the-scenes Snapchat goofs that she recently shared from earlier this year, when the DAYS cast was filming pre-COVID.
UPDATE (August 17, 2020): An update since we first reported on Banus' exit. Corday Productions has confirmed that though Camila Banus will be leaving the canvas at the end of this month, she and her Salem alter ego, Gabi Hernandez, will be back when the show resumes production in September. Reports TV Insider, who broke the news, reported that "Gabi's departure will... be brief and she will return later this fall to continue to stir up more trouble in Salem."
UPDATE (August 26, 2020): UPDATE: Camila Banus gave an interview in which she explains why she decided to leave Days of our Lives, as well as why she ultimately decided to step back into the role of Gabi not long after departing the NBC series.
"You all know I worked really hard last year on DAYS. I was pretty featured, and to be honest with you, there were a couple of reasons that I came to the conclusion of needing to take a break," she tells Soaps.com. "For me, any time I leave the show, it’s never felt like it’s a definite thing. It’s always been something like I need some space from this partner [laughs]. I didn’t know for how long, but I knew that I wanted to have my pilot season open and available for any opportunity that might present itself."
She goes on to explain that because pilot season was lost due to the COVID-19 situation, she and DAYS started to negotiate a new contract.
"I’m happy and grateful I have a home at Days of our Lives. I have a home there that is not only the show, but just the amazing people that make it happen," she says. "It’s been back and forth. We had been negotiating and we got it confirmed."
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