Days of our Lives Recap for Thursday, January 2, 2025: Chanel gets no Joy on New Year's Eve

At the DiMera party, JJ told Gabi that he noticed she was keeping her distance from EJ. She wanted to start her new year right. JJ reiterated how much he appreciated Gabi’s help and was happy to start the new year with her. Belle told Philip she was celebrating New Year’s as a single woman for the first time in a long time. Philip suggested she let go of the old and look forward to new things in the new year, and they toasted that. Alex asked Steph where her date was, and she nodded toward Philip, who was talking to Belle across the room. Alex said that Joy seemed to have disappeared. Steph noted that she didn’t see Chanel and Johnny anywhere, either.

Gabi announced that the ball was about to drop. Arnold started kissing Jada before the countdown got to “one.” Philip made sure Alex was watching as he kissed Steph at midnight. EJ kissed Belle on the cheek. Alex looked around for Joy but didn’t see her. EJ went to “Rafe” and said he needed his help serving the guests. Jada watched quizzically as they walked away as “Rafe” was acting differently.

Upstairs, Johnny wanted to know what Joy was doing at the party, and she got frustrated telling him that Chanel had invited her and Alex and that she was a difficult person to say no to. She said she didn’t want to be there either, and it was uncomfortable to be around Chanel. When Joy said that she was glad Chanel didn’t know what happened between them, Chanel walked in. “Don’t be stingy, Joy. Go ahead and spill the tea. Tell me what it is you did with my husband,” Chanel drawled.

Johnny tried to act casual and wanted them all to go downstairs, but Chanel told him they missed the countdown. Chanel said she heard them talking and wanted the truth. Johnny asked Joy to give him and Chanel privacy. Once alone, Johnny explained that when he thought Chanel was cheating on him with Alex, he had gone to the Small Bar to drown his sorrows, which is where he met Joy. He said they pretended to be strangers when they were introduced on set.

Johnny explained that he and Joy started talking, and he confided that his wife was cheating. He wished he’d talked to Chanel instead so he didn’t make the biggest mistake of his life. Chanel wanted to know everything, so he told her how he wallowed about her and Alex to Joy. They got very drunk, and he took off his ring and started kissing Joy. He claimed nothing else happened, but Chanel told him she wanted every last gory detail, no matter how painful it was to hear.

Johnny told Chanel that he got half-naked, but then he stopped and said he still loved his wife and wanted to stop before things went too far. He swore it was the truth, and Chanel said she believed him, but then she slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

Johnny insisted it was a one-time thing, and he had nothing to do with Joy being on the show. He never thought he’d see her again. He told her everything about how Alex found out, and everyone agreed not to tell Chanel the truth. Chanel wondered why Alex agreed to be thrown under the bus for Johnny. He explained that Alex didn’t want her to get hurt, and neither did he. Johnny said he was terrified of losing her, and he was so sorry for messing up. He said he would do whatever it took to make it up to her. He asked if there was a way to move past it, but Chanel said no, as she would never forgive him.

Chanel told Johnny that he had lied to her for months and even called her a cheating slut and made her feel bad when she hadn’t done anything wrong. He begged her not to leave him, but Chanel insisted on leaving. Even when he tried to stop her, she yelled that if he didn’t get out of her way, she would scream bloody murder. Johnny reluctantly let her walk out.

Joy came downstairs and was clearly displeased when she found Alex. Philip called over to her and asked how Chloe was doing. “Like you care. You dumped her ass,” she swiped as she grabbed a glass and said she needed a refill. Philip, Stephanie, and Alex looked confused as she stomped off.

JJ and Gabi approached Philip and Stephanie as Alex went after Joy. Philip and JJ bickered about how he’d lost in court and previously blackmailed her. JJ got Gabi to go for some fresh air. Meanwhile, Joy told Alex that she had been upstairs with Chanel and Johnny. She said she would tell him all about it but wanted to go home first. Philip noted that the pair were leaving, and Stephanie told him she wouldn’t mind getting out of there, too.

At home, Stephanie was acting off, and Philip asked her why. He wondered if she was upset about Alex. Stephanie reluctantly admitted that she wasn’t entirely over Alex but said that she wanted to be. She said they could never figure out what either of them wanted, but it was moot as they weren’t allowed to see one another because of work. She said regardless of the rule, they weren’t compatible. Stephanie said she should be happy that Alex was moving on with Joy; she just wished she could find a way to move on, too.

Philip knew how she felt as he struggled to let go of Chloe, too. They thought maybe they could help one another get over their broken hearts. They began kissing on the couch. Stephanie started unbuttoning Philip’s shirt. “Let’s take this to the bedroom,” she suggested.

At Joy’s, Alex was surprised at Joy’s account of Chanel walking in on her and Johnny talking. Joy told him that she thought Johnny had no choice but to tell his wife everything. Alex thought it was for the best that the truth came out, even though they would be on the receiving end of Chanel’s wrath for lying to her. Alex hoped it wouldn’t get as ugly as it could. Joy thought that even though she and Johnny didn’t “do the deed,” Chanel had every right to be as mad as she would if they had.

Joy worried that Chanel would get her fired. Alex didn’t think she would or could, but thought Chanel would hold a grudge. Joy lamented that her mom’s comments about her being a screw-up came true. She thought everyone would hate her for ruining a marriage, regardless of whether she was fired. Alex assured her he was not one of those people and told her he liked her and thought she was hot.

Alex and Joy started kissing, but he stopped and said he didn’t want to take advantage of her while she was vulnerable. He started to leave, but she asked him not to. They began kissing and undressing and wound up on the bed instead.

At Gabi’s, she and JJ ate leftover pizza and commented on what a weird party it was. Gabi said the highlight was an amazing kiss at midnight. JJ said he didn’t want to make things complicated as she was just coming off of a divorce. He said the kiss didn’t need to mean more than two old friends celebrating. “What if I wanted it to mean more?” Gabi asked.

Gabi said she was willing to explore the possibility of a relationship with JJ. She said there was a spark between them, and JJ agreed. “In that case, do you want to spend the night?” Gabi asked. JJ said he did, and then he took her hand and led her upstairs.

EJ warned Arnold that he was not to sleep with Jada, but he didn’t see the problem. EJ said that he pulled the same crap with Sami. EJ told Arnold that since Jada thought he was Rafe, she couldn’t give her consent. “If you continue to defy me, I promise things will not end well for you,” EJ said sternly. JJ and Gabi interrupted and asked what was going on.

EJ explained that “Rafe’s” fiance not only screwed him out of a job, but she’d also come for EJ’s. He said Jada convinced the mayor to have him replaced. “Way to go, Jada,” Gabi snickered. She asked why he was taking it out on her brother instead of Jada or Paulina. “Rafe” told her he could handle “Elvis, Jr.” so JJ and Gabi left. But then Jada walked up and wanted to go home. EJ told her she couldn’t go home with him. “Why the hell not?” Jada snapped.

EJ told Jada that “Rafe” had just been hired by Steve to do some work for Black Patch. “On New Year’s Eve?” Jada asked. “Rafe” told her it was top secret, and he had no choice but to leave right away. “Rafe” promised to be back before their wedding at the end of the month. He went to kiss her, but EJ had a coughing fit and interrupted, so “Rafe” kissed Jada’s head and left.

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Jada told EJ and Belle that she was going to go home. EJ sneered that she had a busy day ahead, bringing his “unfortunate son-of-a-bitch” replacement up to speed. “EJ, I’ve been trying to tell you that that unfortunate son-of-a-bitch is me,” Belle said. EJ’s mouth dropped, and he was speechless.

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