The truth about Eli finally comes out when he forces Valerie to ‘fess up to Julie about his paternity on Days of Our Lives. Namely, the fact he is Julie’s late son David’s son–and her grandson.
The Set Up
It’s a pivotal moment for Eli and a huge scene for actor Lamon Archey, who plays the character. Eli sets things in motion, when “he calls Julie and asks her if she would meet with him,” recounts the actor. “Julie arrives, and Valerie happens to be there as well. It just kind of comes to a head from there.”
Eli explains that he invited Julie (Susan Seaforth Hayes) there to talk. And Valerie knows exactly what that means. “He tells his mother, ‘If you’re not going to say anything, I am,’” says Archey. “Valerie’s pretty much put on the spot.”
Time for the Truth
Valerie (Vanessa Williams) realizes it’s time to divulge the secret she’s been keeping for decades: the fact that Eli is the love child she conceived with Julie’s son, David, and kept from David and the Horton family his entire life. Not surprisingly, Julie is stunned and furious.“It doesn’t go well… Not well at all,” admits Archey with a laugh. “I think that most fans know that Julie is not going to take that kind of information with a smile.”
Slap Happy
And she doesn’t. Julie responds by slapping Valerie right across her face.
“Julie is pretty pissed off about it,” notes Archey. “But it doesn’t take her long to realize that there is so much more to all this. And when I say more I mean there’s more of a brighter side to this story than there is a darker side. I’m referring to the fact that Julie has this new grandson that she can embrace and build a relationship with; a relationship that she didn’t have with David.”
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Taking Sides
Eli, who finds himself in the middle between his mother and grandmother, takes Julie’s side. “He’s sympathetic towards Julie, because they’re in the same boat,” points out Archey. “They were both out there without this information that they should have been privy to for years; for Eli since birth. Valerie’s been the one who’s been withholding this secret forever, so Eli is definitely not sympathizing with her.”
His Father’s Son
Julie ends up walking out of their meeting, and Eli follows “to talk to her,” notes Archey. “He stops Julie, and they definitely have a moment. Julie looks at him and says, ‘Now that I’m looking at you, I do see my son David. I see him in you.’ That’s also a realization for her that she can build with Eli what she didn’t have with David.”
Eli shares that sentiment “to a degree,” notes Archey. “For him, it’s more being able to connect to something he didn’t have. I don’t think Eli had a grandmother in his life. He had Terrence, who he thought was his father and died, but I don’t think he had any grandparents. Julie is a part of his family that he can connect to now.”
Moving On…
Although the secret is now truly out, Eli isn’t necessarily relieved. Archey believes his character “feels uneasy, because he doesn’t know what’s next. He doesn’t know what to expect. Not only is he curious to see how Julie is going to react to this, but also the other Horton family members.”
Eli, of course, is hoping for one thing: “To be accepted and welcomed to the Hortons and to be able to learn about David and his dad’s side of the family,” says Archey. “He’s wants to catch up on stuff that been unavailable his whole life.”
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