If you haven’t watched the Tuesday, February 17 episode of Days of our Lives yet, grab your hankies! In what was Billy Flynn’s last performance in the role of Chad DiMera, the three-time Daytime Emmy nominated actor left it all out on the table. Flynn gave viewers some of the most heartfelt goodbyes we have seen on the soaps when an actor is making a final exit.

While Billy left Days of our Lives last March to join the cast of The Young and the Restless as the recast Cane Ashby, with DAYS tape to streaming timeline, today in story, Chad left Salem with his children, Thomas (Cary Christopher) and Charlotte (Autumn Gendron). The three are heading to Arizona for awhile to stay with Will and Sonny. The exit provided the opportunity for there to be a short break, before Conner Floyd assumes the role come April 26 on your screens.

In a recap of Billy Flynn’s last Days of our Lives episode, it was if each goodbye and moment tugged on your heart strings more than the previous one. It also illustrated what a huge loss this was for the long-running soap opera. For those who went on the ride with Flynn as Chad, it was also an emotional day. The episode also marked the last one for Cary Christopher who was wonderful in the role of Thomas DiMera as well as Autumn Gendron as Charlotte. Both roles have been recast.

Courtesy/Peacock

First, Chad visits Abigail’s gravesite. He tells his beloved that their kids are growing, and that he is really trying to do right by them. He tells Abigail, “I still miss you every single day.” He then informs her he is leaving Salem with the kids for awhile and that he promises to take a piece of her with him whereever he goes. As this was Valentine’s Day in Salem, Chad puts a rose on Abigail’s tombstone and tells her, “Goodbye for now!” HANKIES.

When Chad returns to Julie (Susan Seaforth Hayes), he sees his son, Thomas sitting alone. In a very touching scene, and the last one between Cary Christopher and Billy Flynn as father and son, they talk about being sad thinking about Abigail. Remembering the candied Valentine’s hearts, Abigail used to give Thomas, Chad has a box in his pocket that he gives to his son. HANKIES.

Julie comes into the living room and Thomas goes to finish packing, leaving Chad with Julie, in what will be the final scenes between Susan Seaforth Hayes and Billy Flynn. In that moment, if you watch Billy, it all seemed so real, with tears welling up in Chad’s eyes, he has to say goodbye to Julie, who is concerned she will never see him again, They discuss how they both helped each other through their grief of losing Doug and Abigail. Chad thanks Julie for opening her home to him and the children as the two hug. HANKIES

Courtesy/Peacock

Later, Jack (Matthew Ashford) and Jennifer (Melissa Reeves) arrive back to the Horton house. Chad is there and while the three had quite the contentious time over the entire Cat Greene is Abigail and its upshot and aftermath, they seem to reconcile and come to a place of peace. Jack even pipes up that they may have made Chad’s life miserable this past year but it all ended up alright.

When Thomas and Charlotte show back up, and Chad tells them it’s time for bed, they want Julie to read a chapter (or two) from Alice In Wonderland to them. So they exit up the stairs. Next, Jennifer and Jack each hug it out with Chad. Later alone, Chad takes one last look around the living room and stops at his wedding photo with Abigail and begins to cry.  Taking one final look around, Chad turns off the light and heads upstairs. HANKIES. We fade to black.

All of the scenes were poignant, beautifully played, and was that often fine line we see when the performance is mixed with the reality. Flynn cut his teeth on the soaps as an actor on Days of our Lives during his 12-year run as Chad.

Before he closed the page on his run, Flynn spoke to TV Insider, about his emotions of taping his last DAYS episodes. “The stuff that’s airing now is what I remember fondly because they are genuine goodbyes. I had one with Dan Feurriegel (EJ), Susan Hayes, and I loved being able to do the story with Missy and Matt.”

One of Flynn’s takeaways from his experience on Days of our Lives was the kudos he received along the way from executive producer, Ken Corday. “I remember after I was there for a period of time, right around the time of maybe the Necktie Killer storyline, he came in one day and he says, ‘What’s up, GB?’” Flynn relays. “And I was like, ‘GB?’ and he goes, ‘Game Ball. You’re the one we can always give the game ball to.’ It meant a lot, and he called me ‘Game Ball’ until the very end. He’s lovely, and his family is lovely, and what an honor to be a part of that legacy.”

So, what did you think of Billy Flynn’s final episode as Chad DiMera on Days of our Lives? Did you reach for the hankies? Share your thoughts via the comment section below and kudos to Billy fo a job well-done for over a decade.

As previously reported four Days of our Lives actors were blindsided as 2026 began when they were informed by the Peacock streaming soap opera that they were being let-go. In addition, since that time, they have all wrapped their runs, including Ashley Puzemis who played Holly Jonas.

Puzemis, along with her on-screen love interest Leo Howard ((Tate), Carson Boatman (Johnny) and Raven Bowens (Chanel) have all made their exits, but since DAYS tapes ten-months ahead of dropping new episodes, they will be seen well into 2026.

Now for the first time, Ashley Puzemis acknowledged her run on DAYS with a heartfelt post sharing video and images via her Instagram account over the Valentine’s Day weekend.  Puzemis joined the soap opera as the SORAS’d daughter of Nicole (Arianne Zucker) and Daniel (Shawn Christian) in October of 2023.

Photo: JPI

Ashley shared: “Been meaning to post… but that’s officially a wrap on Holly Jonas! 222 episodes later, an Emmy nomination, many tears shed, and an entire cast who has become my family. Thank you for the memories.”

Several of her now former DAYS co-stars jumped in her IG comment thread including: Martha Madison (Belle) who said, “You light up the screen and every room you walk into. You will crush whatever comes next, and we will be cheering you on the whole way.” Hank Northrup (Liam) expressed, “Such a superstar, ” while Dan Feuerriegel (EJ) added, “Miss ya Ashy ❤️”

A DAYS spokesperson previously commented on the exits of Puzemis and the other younger set members: “While we don’t comment on individual contracts or casting decisions, we have tremendous respect and appreciation for the actors who bring these characters to life. What may seem sudden is part of long-range storytelling decisions. Our goal is to balance the show’s rich history with where we’re headed creatively. Due to our long tape-to-air gap, any changes won’t be on screen for some time.”

Now the question becomes, how did the DAYS writers handle the exits of Holly and Tate? Do they leave the canvas and Salem happy together to start their lives somewhere else, or do they go their separate ways? Stay tuned.

So, how do you feel about Ashley Puzemis exiting DAYS as Holly Jonas? Do you hope they will bring the character back at some point? Let us know via the comment section below.

Next week on the Tuesday, February 17 episode of Days of our Lives, Billy Flynn will appear for the last time as Chad DiMera. It’s a role he had inhabited for just over a decade, having taken over the role from his predecessor Casey Deidrick back in the fall of 2014. By the spring of 2025, Flynn announced he was exiting DAYS and joining the cast of The Young and the Restless, where he now plays Cane Ashby.

Following the release of Peacock’s promo for for the action in Salem on February 16-20, which revealed heart-tugging scenes with Chad saying one final goodbye to his loved ones, and visiting the love of his life, Abigail’s gravesite, Billy Flynn commented on his DAYS run via his Instagram story.

Billy expressed: “For the last decade, I gave my all to this character and to this show. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to play Chad DiMera. Tuesday my journey with this character comes to an end. Was a hell of a run and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.”

Photo: JPI

Along the way, the once upstart Flynn, captivated soap opera fans and the genre with his raw and touching performances, and when lighting struck twice, was able to continue Chad and Abigail’s love story with two powerhouse actresses by his side, Kate Mansi (now, Kristina GH) and later Marci Miller. For his performances, Billy received three Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: 2017, 2019, and most recently in 2023.

Chad’s exit should come as no surprise to most of his family, as he shared his plans during the week of February 9, 2026, telling Jullie Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes) that he wanted to take his children, Thomas (Cary Christopher) and Charlotte (Autumn Gendron) out of town for awhile. He also had a moment with his ex-girlfriend, Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord). Viewers should expect that Chad will take his kids to Arizona for now.

However, as previously reported, the role of Chad was recast with former Y&R star, Conner Floyd (ex-Chance Chancellor). Since DAYS tapes ten-months in advance of streaming new episodes on Peacock, Floyd has been with Days of our Lives for quite some time. Look for him and Chad’s children, who have also been recast, to first appear on the upcoming April 21 episode of DAYS.

Take a look at the promo for next week’s Days of our Lives below. Followed by Billy’s visit to the Michael Fairman Channel shortly after debuting on The Young and the Restless, where he also reflects on his time in Salem.

Now, let us know, will you be sad to see Billy make his final exit as Chad DiMera on Days of our Lives? Did you enjoy his performances for over a decade in the role? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.