The Tragedy That Prompted Rachel Melvin's Return To Days Of Our Lives

After a decade away, Rachel Melvin returned to "Days of Our Lives" when a tragedy struck a beloved former cast member. Younger "Days of Our Lives" fans probably aren't up to speed on Rachel Melvin's version of Chelsea Brady — the troubled teenage daughter of Billie Reed and Bo Brady. Melvin previously starred in the long-running soap from 2005 to 2009, where her character skillfully caused all kinds of hullabaloo for the citizens of Salem.

In 2009, however, Melvin said goodbye to the misguided character. "It's very bittersweet," admitted Melvin to Soap Opera Digest in 2009. "It was a lot of buildup for me leaving — this had been in the back of my mind for a year, it had been official for a month and now it was final." Melvin also revealed that she was sad about the possibility she might not play Chelsea again. 

With that said, there was a little drama surrounding Melvin's exit. According to Soap Central, fan theories regarding Melvin's departure from the show weren't all that favorable. "People have gone so far as to speculate that I'm leaving because I 'wasn't getting my way' with storylines, or that I was 'disappointed with the way the show was going,'" the outlet noted that Melvin on her website. However, that narrative wasn't accurate, according to the star. Fortunately, Melvin's goodbye to "Days of Our Lives" didn't last forever, as she recently took on the role of Chelsea Brady yet again.

Rachel Melvin returned to "Days of Our Lives" to honor the late John Aniston — one of the many accomplished actors she starred alongside during her time on the show. John, who was the real-life father of Jennifer Aniston, died in November 2022 at the age of 89, as People reported. He played the role of Victor Kiriakis — Chelsea Brady's fictional grandfather —  and had been a staple on the show for almost forty years. 

Upon hearing the news, Rachel Melvin reflected on their bond. "I had kind of put it out into the ether when John Aniston [ex-Victor] passed away that he meant a lot to me because he did," Melvin shared with Soap Opera Digest. "He was one of the people that I had the most fun with on set and I just really enjoyed him." Melvin then asked "Days of Our Lives" cast member Martha Madison to keep her up to date on any possible funeral arrangements for John. "I don't know if maybe that got passed around or something, but before I knew it, my manager was calling and said, 'Hey, DAYS would like to invite you back for a memorial episode,' which, of course, I was l more than willing and excited and happy to do," she explained.

Although John Aniston died in November, his character, Victor Kariakis, appeared on "Days of Our Lives" until the end of 2022. After John's death, the writers sent Victor Kariakis to Greece for a well-deserved vacation that, unfortunately, ended in a fatal plane crash. The funeral service for Victor — which featured Rachel Melvin's return as Chelsea Brady — aired in early September 2023.

According to Kyle Lowder, who played Rex Brady on "Days of Our Lives," the fictional funeral stirred up the same heartbreaking emotions as John's real funeral. "It was a very surreal moment shooting that," Lowder shared on the "Dishing With Digest" podcast. "All of the reactions from the actors were real and genuine, including my own. It was a rough day. Because you know, he had two funerals — the real one for John Aniston and the on-air one." He continued, "I think the day kind of went fairly what John's personality was. There was a mixture of, you know, stoicism and seriousness, but also humor mixed in." 

Unfortunately, John's daughter, actor Jennifer Aniston, was reportedly unhappy with how "Days Of Our Lives" handled his onscreen death. "Jennifer hates to fly so [the plane crash] has rubbed her the wrong way but what can she do?" said a source to Daily Mail. "They have to explain Victor's death on the show."