The Time Arianne Zucker Dropped A Bomb And Revealed Why Shawn Christian Really Left Days Of Our Lives
"Days of Our Lives" fans came to know and love the character Dr. Daniel Jonas (Shawn Christian) when he showed up in Salem in 2008. Daniel came to town at the urging of his godfather, Victor Kiriakis, as he was hopeful that the doctor could help his son Bo Brady through an illness (via Soap Central). Daniel decided to stay in town and even got a job at Salem University Hospital. He went on to have romances with Chelsea Brady, Chloe Lane, Jennifer Horton, and Kristen DiMera. He also discovered that Maggie Horton was his biological mother.
However, much of Daniel's time in Salem is memorable for his love affair with Nicole Walker, played by Christian's real-life love Arianne Zucker. Daniel and Nicole met and fell hard for one another. They even got engaged, but while planning their wedding, the unthinkable happened. Daniel was killed in a fatal car accident caused by none other than Nicole's former love Eric Brady (Greg Vaughan), per Soaps in Depth. Daniel's heart was then donated to Nicole's close friend and ex-boyfriend, Brady Black (Eric Martsolf).
Many fans were shocked when Daniel was written off of "Days of Our Lives," believing that the soap opera may have gone too far, and the exit didn't go over very well with many — including Zucker.
Shawn Christian has fond memories of his time on Days of Our Lives
Shawn Christian had made a name for himself in the acting world by appearing on shows such as "As the World Turns," "Summerland," "Boston Legal," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Pacific Palisades," "Venice," and "Las Vegas." However, it was his role as Dr. Daniel Jonas on "Days of Our Lives" that made him a household name with soap opera fans. Christian exited the show in 2016 after the tragic car accident that took his character's life. However, the following year he reprised the role of Daniel when he visited Nicole Walker in spirit form.
"When I get on that set, I feel so loved and so grateful to have been in the trenches with these guys and girls who make this show tick," the actor told Soaps in Depth about his return. "I always leave with a smile on my face. It's moving, I have to say." In addition, Christian admitted that he was emotional to work with his real-life girlfriend, Arianne Zucker, again. "I think she was also sad about the departure of the Daniel character because there was so much time invested. And then she'll start crying, and I'll start welling up, and then I'm like, 'Wait a minute. I'm in heaven. There's no crying in heaven!'" he said.
That same year, Zucker spoke her mind about Christian's departure from "Days of Our Lives," and she didn't hold back.
Arianne Zucker got candid about Shawn Christian's firing
After Shawn Christian's exit from "Days of Our Lives" in 2016, many fans believed that the actor had chosen not to renew his contract with the soap opera. However, that wasn't the case at all. In fact, Christian's girlfriend and former co-star, Arianne Zucker, revealed that the actor was fired from the sudser. Of course, Zucker wasn't happy to lose her real-life love and frequent scene partner, and in 2017 she spoke out about the actor's exit from the show.
Zucker told Soap Opera Digest, "I was really shocked, I have to say. Not just for the fact that we were working together at the time, but I was surprised he was the one to go. I read in some places that he left on his own accord. Uh, no, he didn't. He was fired. He did not leave on his own accord. I wasn't happy about it."
Although Daniel was killed off and his heart was donated to Brady Black, some "Days" fans would still welcome the character back with open arms. Recently, Stefan DiMera was resurrected after his heart was donated to Julie Williams, proving anything is possible in Salem (via Soaps in Depth). Of course, Zucker would also be happy to see Christian back, as the couple is newly engaged, according to Soap Hub, and planning the wedding their characters never got to have.