Days of our Lives recap for April 11, 2025: Sami tells Johnny about her history

Here is your Days of our Lives recap for Friday, April 11, 2025, when Sami explained to Johnny all about her relationship with EJ, including Johnny's conception. Content advisory: This article contains conversations about sexual assault.

What happened on Days of our Lives

At the hospital, Sami stared at EJ as he lay comatose in his bed. “I don’t know what to say to him. I just have no idea how I am supposed to explain to our son how I fell in love with you after what you did to me,” Sami said as Johnny entered the room behind her. “Well, Mom, now’s your chance,” Johnny said. Sami hugged her son. “I’ve missed you so much. It’s so good to see you,” Sami said. Sami explained that she had just arrived.

“You came to see him?” Johnny asked. “I came to see you,” Sami countered. Frustrated, Johnny noted that Sami had not returned any of his calls. “After what he did to you, why do you even care if he lives or dies?” Johnny asked. Sami looked over at EJ, and she asked Johnny why he would think that she would want EJ to die. “Because of what he did to you,” Johnny said. Sami stressed that she did not want to see the father of her children dead.

“One of us wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for that monster forcing you to sleep with him,” Johnny muttered. Sami started to speak, but Johnny interrupted to tell his mother how sorry he was that EJ had hurt her and that she had to be reminded of it when she saw her son. “Stop it! You listen to me, whatever happened between your father and I has nothing to do with you. Do you understand?” Sami stressed. Confused, Johnny asked Sami how she could marry the man who had manipulated and violated her.

“How did you fall in love with the man who raped you?” Johnny asked. Sami teared up, and she admitted she had asked herself the same question. “I never wanted you and your sister to know what happened,” Sami whispered. Sami smiled, and she told Johnny that he would be a great father. “And then you’re gonna know how it feels to want your kids to be safe, and you want to keep them in this bubble and protect them from all the harshest parts of the world,” Sami said. Johnny shook his head.

“Did you honestly think that this moment would never come?” Johnny asked. Sami shrugged. “I hoped it wouldn’t. I was just trying to protect your relationship with your father,” Sami said. “Because he asked you to?” Johnny said. Sami said no. Sami explained that she had not wanted Johnny to see her as a victim.

“I could never see you that way. You are the strongest woman that I know,” Johnny said. Sami laughed and shook her head no. Johnny told Sami that he loved her. “If I was strong, I would have talked to you about this when you first asked me,” Sami said. Sami confessed she had been too scared.

“Scared of how I’d react?” Johnny said. “You asked how I could fall in love with your father after what he did. I have spent two decades trying to figure that out. There’s a hundred answers. I don’t know if any of them are right. But you deserve the whole story. You deserve to know who I am, really, and where you came from,” Sami said. Sami told Johnny that after years of pleading from Marlena, Sami had finally started to talk to a therapist. “I’m Sami Brady. I don’t talk about my problems. I just do something about it. For better or worse,” Sami said with an awkward chuckle. Johnny asked Sami what had changed her mind.

“You just finally get to a point in your life where you don’t want to keep making the same mistakes over and over. It’s exhausting holding grudges and keeping score and staying up all night thinking about all the things you’ve done that you regret, things you can’t change because you can’t change the past,” Sami said. Sami explained that after she had learned that Lucas had been her kidnapper, she had realized that she was in a toxic cycle.

“I knew if I didn’t talk to someone and work through it, I was going to do something that would put me in the cell next to him,” Sami said. Sami admitted that she had hated therapy at first, but she had refused to quit. “I’m figuring some things out about the choices I made and figuring out how that put me here,” Sami said. Johnny asked Sami if she had talked about EJ’s assault in therapy. Sami said yes.

“But Johnny, I have had other experiences with trauma and sexual violence,” Sami said. “You mean Arnold Feniger,” Johnny said. Sami was taken aback, and she confirmed that Arnold had also hurt her. Sami told Johnny about how Alan Harris had raped her in high school. As Sami started to apologize, Johnny pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

“But you have to understand, these things are not necessarily related, right? What happened with Alan Harris is not the same thing as what happened with that guy, Arnold, or what happened with your father. And believe me, I have had other toxic relationships. It’s just that when I put it all together, and I think about the story of my life, I realize that there are these patterns,” Sami said.

“What kind of patterns?” Johnny asked. “Choices that I have made because I didn’t think very much of myself. I fixated on men. And I put up with a lot of bad behavior, a lot of criminal behavior, on my part as well as theirs. Because I didn’t think I deserved better,” Sami explained. Johnny shook his head, and he assured Sami that she had not deserved any of what had happened. Sami said she understood that no one deserved to be violated.

“But for a long time, I didn’t think that I deserved to be loved,” Sami said. “That’s crazy. Mom, you are so beautiful. And you're smart. And you have this big heart,” Johnny said. Sami smiled, and she admitted that she had been scarred by how Stefano had broken up her family when she was a child. “I don’t know how your Aunt Carrie or Uncle Eric turned out so great, but they managed to survive, and I didn’t. I was so afraid and angry and lonely,” Sami said. Sami noted that although her parents had returned home, she had not gotten over her abandonment issues.

“And then I was a teenager and had all these self esteem issues. And I was basically this, like, emotional roller coaster, a volcano ready to blow. And then one night, I walked in on my mom cheating on my dad. She was having an affair with John,” Sami said. Sami admitted that she had blamed John and Marlena, and Carrie. Sami confessed that she had abused Austin.

“What do you mean?” Johnny asked. Sami wiped the tears from her eyes, and she told Johnny that she had drugged and tricked Austin into sex. “I was really young and naive. And I thought that if he slept with me, he would love me. But I did a lot of other terrible things too. It’s amazing that Austin and Carrie have managed to forgive me,” Sami said. Sami sighed.

“And then I met your dad. And it was very tumultuous. But, um, but there was this one night where Lucas was in trouble. And EJ was there. And he offered me a deal that if I slept with him that he would save Lucas’ life. And it just felt like karma,” Sami said. Johnny shook his head. “You do understand that nobody deserves what happened to you. No matter what kind of mistakes they made,” Johnny stressed. Sami nodded, and she said she understood that now.

“It’s kind of like you were punishing yourself to be with him?” Johnny said. Sami admitted that was part of the reason she had agreed to EJ’s offer. Sami walked over to the bed, and she stared at EJ. “But I do know that after everything we’ve been through, I really loved your father,” Sami said. Sami placed her hand on EJ’s shoulder, and she smiled sadly at him. “Probably more than any other man,” Sami said. Sami turned to face Johnny.

“And even with everything that we did to each other, I know, I know that he loved me too,” Sami said. Sami sniffled back tears. “I can’t take back all the things that we did to each other, EJ and I. But I can promise you this. I am going to always be grateful to him because he gave me one of the greatest gifts of my life. He gave me you,” Sami said. With tears in his eyes, Johnny nodded and hugged his mother again.

“Thank you for telling me all that,” Johnny said. Sami asked Johnny if he was okay. “I will be. It’s just, mom, when I found out that he did that to you, I was so angry. It’s like my whole world just came crashing down. I couldn’t even see straight,” Johnny said. Sami said she understood. “I have something I have to ask you,” Sami said. Sami was interrupted by a phone call from Sydney. Sami stepped outside to take the call. Johnny walked over to his father, and he thought about when he had taken the gun out of the lockbox at the pub.

In Kate’s room above the pub, Rex found Kate’s gun in a desk drawer. As Rex closed the drawer, Roman entered the room. “I didn’t know you were here!” Roman said. Rex explained that he had decided to visit at the last minute to calm Kate’s fears about retribution from EJ. Rex confirmed that the driver had turned themselves into the police.

“Why is EJ so pissed at mom in the first place?” Rex asked. “Because she said something to Johnny that EJ never wanted him to know,” Roman said. Roman told Rex the details. “Looks like [EJ] might be finally paying for some of his sins,” Roman said. Rex asked about Kristen, and Roman confirmed that the police had found Kristnen with a gun. Rex grimaced.

“Kristen is not the only one with a gun,” Rex said. Rex opened the drawer, and Roman took the gun out of the desk. When Roman admitted he had known about the gun, Rex pointed out that Roman appeared surprised by it. “Well, she usually keeps it in her purse or in the safe, locked up,” Roman said. “So what the hell is it doing in here?” Rex asked. Roman said he did not know. Rex asked Roman if he suspected that Kate had shot EJ. After a moment, Roman told Rex that Kate was not the shooter. “How can you be so sure?” Rex asked.

At the Carver-Price home, Paulina stared at the headline about EJ’s shooting. “Couldn’t happen to a nicer son of a bitch,” Paulina muttered. Chanel returned home. “I wonder where [Johnny] could be,” Chanel said. Chanel worried aloud about how cold Johnny’s reaction had been to the news about EJ’s shooting.

“Can you blame him after what he learned about [EJ]?” Paulina said. “I expect Johnny to be angry and disappointed, but his father could have died. He still could. And I know Johnny loves him,” Chanel argued. Paulina countered that Johnny loved his mother, too, and she understood why Johnny had reacted so strongly. When Chanel said that she could not understand the mindset of someone like EJ, Paulina noted that men like EJ only thought about what they wanted and needed.

“Someone gets in their way, even somebody that they claim to love, that’s too damn bad,” Paulina said. “Well, what EJ did to Johnny’s mother was disgusting,” Chanel said. Paulina noted that it was no wonder that Amy Choi did not want EJ in her grandchild’s life. Chanel’s eyes went wide, and she noted that EJ would not be a part of the baby’s life because he was in a coma.

“Are you thinking she would reconsider letting you adopt Sophia’s baby?” Paulina asked. Chanel said she did not want the adoption to go through because Johnny’s father was shot, but that she was hopeful that the situation could change Amy’s mind. With a sigh, Paulina told Chanel that she had a confession about the night of the shooting. Worried, Chanel asked Paulina if she was the shooter. Paulina said no.

Paulina explained that she had talked to the ADA the night of the shooting about whether EJ could be charged with rape. “Unfortunately, the statute of limitations has run out. But I’m not giving up,” Paulina said. Paulina announced that she intended to push for an amendment at the state level to change the statute of limitations. “A woman like Sami deserves justice,” Chanel said. “And EJ deserves to pay for his crimes, no matter how long ago they were,” Paulina said. With a nod, Chanel said she was relieved that Paulina had not shot EJ.

At the Small Bar, Xander and Sarah celebrated Titan’s takeover of DiMera Enterprises. “I know that if Victor was still here, he would be just as proud of you as I am,” Sarah said. Xander credited Sarah as well as Philip and Alex because Sarah had believed in him. “You help me put aside all my old vendettas and find common ground with my brother. I mean, you know how hard it was for me when we found out Victor wrote that letter,” Xander said. Xander admitted he was surprised at how good a team he and Philip were together.

“And now, thanks to you, I not only have a first-rate business partner, but I have something that I never even knew that I wanted, a real relationship with my brother,” Xander said. With a grin, Xander pulled a jewelry box out of his jacket. Sarah gasped as the string of pearls. “They’re identical to the ones Victor got Maggie for their tenth anniversary,” Xander said. Xander noted that the pearls were rare.

“My father wanted the best for his Mrs. Kiriakis, so it seems only right that I should do the same for mine,” Xander said. Sarah sniffled back tears, and she slid the box back toward Xander. “I don’t deserve these,” Sarah said. “You’re my moral compass. You’re everything to me,” Xander said. Sarah flinched. Confused, Xander asked why she was upset. “Because I feel so guilty,” Sarah said. Xander asked Sarah if she was upset about how they had taken advantage of the DiMera misfortunes.

“It’s just business,” Xander said. Xander added that the only person that would be fired would be Kristen. “I mean, she did just shoot her own brother,” Xander said. Xander told Sarah that her concern for other people was a big reason that he loved her. “I love you too,” Sarah whispered. Sarah’s phone beeped, and she announced she needed to return to the hospital. Xander promised he would wait for her at home.

In the Kiriakis mansion, Philip was sipping Champagne and telling Victor’s portrait that he wished they could celebrate together. “He would be so proud of you. As am I,” Kate said as she walked in. Philip suggested they toast to the good news, but Vivian interrupted. “You can’t start a celebration without moi,” Vivian said. “What are you doing here?” Philip stammered. Vivian announced that a judge had granted her release, and she had wanted to see Philip.

“So, you came here to say goodbye to me?” Phillip asked. “Yes, and to get what’s mine,” Vivian countered. Vivian reminded Philip and Kate that she was responsible for Philip’s control of Titan. “You remember we have an agreement,” Vivian said. “Here we go,” Kate muttered. Vivian demanded her half of the company. Philip explained that they needed to proceed with caution to funnel the money to her.

“You had plenty of time to figure that out. I know a stall when I smell one,” Vivian said. Vivian added that she had not agreed to half of the company and that the takeover of DiMera had changed their agreement. “Are you trying to renegotiate the deal?” Kate asked. Vivian argued that she did not want to share the company with Xander.

“There’s nothing I can do about him owning half the company,” Philip said. Vivian disagreed. “That neanderthal half-brother of yours has to die,” Vivian said. Philip asked Vivian if she was serious, and Vivian confirmed that although she would not kill him, someone needed to do it. “Well, don’t look at me. I’m not going to murder my own brother for his half of Titan or for any reason,” Philip said. With a shrug, Vivian said she would handle it.

“I am not going to commit murder so you can sink your talons into Titan,” Kate growled. With a smirk, Vivian countered that she would be happy to call Xander and tell him the truth about the letter. “She’s bluffing,” Kate said. “Are you willing to take the risk?” Vivian asked. Philip gasped. “You’d stab me in the back like that? Over money?” Philip said. Vivian shrugged, and she noted that she needed to maintain her lifestyle. “If you don’t give me half of Titan, I will blow your life into smithereens,” Vivian said.

When Xander returned home, Philip was nervously pacing the living room. As Xander pointed out the two glasses, Vivian returned to the living room. “What are you doing here?” Xander asked. With a laugh, Vivian announced that she was moving into the house.

When Kate returned to the pub, Roman was thinking about how he had returned his gun to the lockbox the night of EJ’s shooting. “Are you okay?” Kate asked. “I have something to tell you,” Roman said.

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