The sad moment that many Days of our Lives viewers have been dreading is here: Freddie Smith (Sonny Kiriakis) and Chandler Massey (Will Horton) are exiting Salem this week.
Fans have known about the popular pair's impending exit since February, when Smith revealed on his podcast that the NBC soap opera had released him and Massey from their contracts and that their final airdate would happen this autumn. Smith now reveals that he and Massey will be exiting Salem on Tuesday, September 1.
"The Wilson exit is coming in just two days," Smith shared on Twitter over the weekend. "I know it's going to be sad to see us go, but I want to celebrate the beautiful love story we all created together!! Let's focus on all of the positives and love that has been shared over the years. Thank you all."
The Wilson exit is coming in just two days! I know it's going to be sad to see us go, but I want to celebrate the beautiful love story we all created together!! Let's focus on all of the positives and love that has been shared over the years. Thank you all ❤️😀 @ChandlerMassey pic.twitter.com/oEkrqlB2JI
— freddie smith (@freddiemsmith) August 30, 2020
WilSon's exit will for sure be sad, but there is a possible bright spot on the horizon: Smith has repeatedly said that the door has been left open for his and Massey's return.
"Seeing the shakeup that's going on over there, I think that these were very tough behind-the-scenes discussions between the network or the producers... I like to look at it as they're resting our characters and that we could potentially come back," he said in July. "I feel fortunate to never have been rested in nine years, so that's pretty amazing. I did take that break in 2015 where it was my choice, but I think that's what it was -- that they had to make a decision."
Smith joined DAYS in 2011 and played Sonny -- the first openly gay contract character on the NBC series -- until 2015. He returned to the show in 2016.
Massey joined DAYS in 2010, and in 2012 became the first actor in history to win a Daytime Emmy for playing a male gay character, which he followed up again in 2013. That same year, Massey chose to leave the NBC series, and the soap cast Guy Wilson in the role. Massey returned in 2017.
Sonny and Will's DAYS romance made history for being the first wedding between two men in US daytime drama history. Said Smith back in February, "WilSon became something that is in stone forever... as this same-sex couple who told this amazing storyline. We started at a time when it wasn't as mainstream."
He concluded, "Though [our exit] is sad and shocking, I want to celebrate what we've created, I want to talk with Chandler about the good times, and I want to talk about our future, and that's what I want to focus on. I want you all to come and celebrate with us."
How do you feel about WilSon's exit and the way it has been written? Do you think Freddie Smith and Chandler Massey will be back? 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.
