On Days of our Lives, Joy didn’t just drift out of Salem quietly. She left with a lie, a pregnancy, and Alex none the wiser, while he moved back toward Stephanie. Now she’s back, baby in tow, and the part she kept to herself is sitting right in front of him, poised to change everything. AlexAnn Hopkins stepped back into the role with that history already baked in, and when she talked about it, she didn’t mince words. She just laid out what Joy is walking in with and what that’s about to do to the people around her.
Key Takeaways
- Joy returns to Salem with Alex’s child, forcing the truth into the open.
- Her past lie and sudden reappearance immediately disrupt Alex and Stephanie.
- AlexAnn Hopkins says the comeback felt natural and more connected this time.
- Joy is more focused and mature, driven by her role as a mother.
- Despite that growth, Joy still has an agenda and isn’t backing down.
Joy Returns With More Than A Secret
Hopkins spoke to Soap Opera Digest and didn’t make the comeback sound uncertain. “I felt good about the fact that it wasn’t, ‘She died, and she’s off the show,’” she said. She appreciated that when Joy left, she was pregnant with presumably Alex’s (Robert Scott Wilson) child. She explained that returning “felt like I was coming back to a family.”
She didn’t come back into a small circle either. Joy lands in scenes with Alex and Stephanie (Abigail Klein) straight away, but Hopkins also talked about working more widely this time. “I’ve gotten to work with a lot more people this time around, like Susan [Seaforth Hayes, Julie] and Suzanne [Rogers, Maggie],” she said.
The actress then added, “That’s been so cool because they’re two of the people who have made this show what it is.” And the setup doesn’t need much help: Joy shows up with a child Alex didn’t know existed, and Stephanie is standing right there when it happens. There isn’t a version of that where things stay steady. The tension is already there before anyone even starts asking questions.
A Different Joy With The Same Instincts
Hopkins was clear that Joy didn’t come back the same way she left. “Now, she really has a sense of purpose, which is this baby,” she said. “She comes across as much more womanly now.” That shift is the core of how she’s playing this version of the story.
But that doesn’t mean she’s stepping back lightly. “If there’s one thing about Joy, she has an agenda,” Hopkins said. She also added that being a mother has caused Joy to be more assertive this time.
That’s where things get complicated for Alex and Stephanie. Joy isn’t just showing up to explain what happened. She’s stepping in and disrupting lives that had moved on without her. The baby now gives her a reason to push, and Alex is stuck smack dab in the middle of it, whether he’s ready or not.
