Peyton Meyer‘s time on Days of Our Lives is over — but how did Doug’s story wrap up?
The Friday, July 25, episode of Days of Our Lives concluded Doug III’s journey in Salem. He previously promised that he would leave town if Tate (Leo Howard) helped him pay off the loan shark so that Holly (Ashley Puzemis) and Ari (Marissa Reyes) could go free. Doug kept his word and after one final conversation with Julie (Susan Seaforth Hayes), he left Salem for good.
Meyer’s exit came less than a year after the actor joined the soap. In December 2024, Meyer, 26, was introduced as Doug Sr.’s grandson after meeting his widow Julie at the cemetery. Despite Meyer’s short-lived role, Days of Our Lives stars have grown used to saying goodbye to characters over the years.
Earlier this season, Days of Our Lives mourned Drake Hogestyn‘s character, John Black, who died after the actor passed away at age 70 from pancreatic cancer in September 2024.
Executive producer Ken Corday spoke about the decision to kill off Hogestyn’s character, telling Soap Opera Digest in November 2024, “I wanted to make sure Drake signed off on this, and he was totally in favor of it. We were rolling the dice, because it’s difficult to tell a story of someone’s death or a character’s death while the actor is still alive — albeit [Drake] was fighting, like a tiger, a very difficult disease.”
Corday recalled getting Hogestyn’s stamp of approval.
“I made the choice to [say], ‘OK, let’s tell the story.’ He hadn’t been on [the show] in nine months. We needed a reason [for John’s absence],” he continued. “He trusted me. Had Drake, God willing, beaten this, he would’ve come back, and it would’ve been something different. But [the story] had to be told. It was extremely difficult and painful for us to tell it.”
Days of Our Lives, which was just renewed for two more seasons, has also faced other surprising departures. In October 2024, Brandon Barash shocked Us by claiming that he was fired from the long-running soap opera after five years.
“I knew exactly what was happening as soon as I was called up to [the boss’] office,” Barash, 45, told Soaps.com. “And she said, ‘Look, this is not my doing. I don’t like it. And this is no reflection on you or your abilities. You’re very talented. We know your work ethic is very high, but it’s just where we’re deciding to take the character.’”
Barash, who played twins Stefan and Jake DiMera on Days, claimed that he “was in the middle of a contract, and it was the writers’ decision.” Days of Our Lives did not address Barash’s claims or exit.
At the time, Barash said he didn’t know whether his character Stefan would ever return to Days.
“This is the second time this has happened to me on Days of Our Lives. And, you know, it would have to be very, very right,” Barash explained. “The terms would have to be right. The story would have to be right. The contract would have to be right.”
He added: “I would have to be able to trust them — and I’ve lost that. I’ve lost that ability to trust that team, quite frankly.”
