Exclusive Interview: Lucas Adams Talks Days of our Lives Rape Story

Lucas Adams has been in the hot seat ever since his Days of our Lives character, Tripp Dalton, was accused of rape. And, as an actor, the whole experience has been downright scalding.

Lucas Adams On Playing the Heavy

His initial reaction to the storyline was mixed. “I was excited, and I was a little scared, honestly,” admits Adams. “When [the DAYS brass] told me they wanted me to come back, they said, ‘We’re going to have you go back to being a little of the darker character.’ I was like, “Cool. Sweet.’ Then I started reading more and more [scripts] and was like, ‘Oh. Oh no! Is this something that I did?’ I was very nervous because it’s a very heavy thing to portray.”

Working with Lindsay

But as it played out, Adams began to welcome the challenge. “That’s one of the things that Lindsay [Arnold, Allie] and I had talked about,” says Adams. “This is just a crazy storyline and very intense, to begin with. So we just have to dive right in to really sell it.”

The pair have worked together to ensure that. “We run our lines through on FaceTime, now,” notes Adams, referring to the limitations set by the pandemic. “We make sure to do that beforehand, so we can really click when we get out there on set. Lindsay has been fantastic. Her choices and her acting are amazing. She’s so easy to bounce off of and vibe with.”

Allie’s Next Move

Despite Allie’s failed attempts to move forward with rape charges against Tripp in Salem or in London, she comes up with a new legal maneuver, this week. Kate (Lauren Koslow) suggests her granddaughter pursue a civil suit against her attacker, so Allie seeks out Belle (Martha Madison) to represent her. What’s Tripp reaction when he learns about Allie’s latest move against him?

“In Tripp’s mind, he’s like, this will never end,” explains Lucas Adams. “He’s fearful of the truth never coming out, and he’s also just exhausted. He’s exhausted over the entire thing, and he doesn’t know what to do.”

Plus, he sees the evidence stacked against him. “That’s why Tripp is so understanding when people are upset with him,” notes Adams. “He’s like, ‘I get it. I understand why you’re mad at me. I understand why you think that I did this, it’s just that it’s not true.’ He sounds like a broken record saying that, but he’s just doing what he can [to defend himself]. There’s not much else he can do.”

PI Patch to the Rescue

So his dad, Steve (Stephen Nichols), ramps things up to help his accused son. “We’re going to see more of Steve really trying to prove Tripp’s innocence,” notes Adams. “Steve doesn’t want Tripp to get too wrapped up in it. He’s like, ‘I’m the private eye. Let me deal with this.’ Steve’s trying to protect Tripp, while also proving he didn’t do this.”

Welcome, Tamara… and Ava

Having his onscreen mom – actress Tamara Braun, who was brought back from the dead as Ava – added to the storyline has made things even more interesting for Adams. “I was so excited to work with her,” stresses Adams. “We’ve gotten to play around with our scenes and really have a good time.”

While Adams has welcomed Braun with open arms, Tripp has remained wary and cautious regarding Ava. While grateful for his returned mother’s wholehearted support, “Tripp also knows who his mom is and where she came from,” says Adams. “So there’s been a little bit of, she’s amazing and has been really great to me, but she’s also done a lot of really bad things in the past that Tripp can’t necessarily forgive her for, right away.”

Never Losing Hope

In the interim, Tripp has more pressing things on his plate, like finding a way to clear his name. Adams insists his character is hopeful and does believe there will be a light at the end of this dark tunnel. “Absolutely,” notes the actor. “That’s the one thing that he’s holding onto. That the truth will come out at some point, and he’ll be able to say, ‘Look I didn’t do this.’ That’s what Tripp is waiting for.”

Fan Support

Adams appreciates DAYS viewers’ support for him and his character throughout this whole twisted plot. “There have been a couple of people who have turned on Tripp, but, for the most part, I’ve actually had a really good response from fans,” he notes. “I’ve been really grateful for that. The fans are mostly in my corner, mainly because they know that Tripp wouldn’t do this. It’s just something that would be so out of character for him. They’re really standing by that and standing by Tripp.” Days of our Lives (DOOL) airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for airtimes.