A soap opera writing off a character is nothing new, which is what happened with Days of Our Lives’ Haley Chen, as she left the show in 2019.
Days of Our Lives is one of the longest running and most universally popular soap operas.
Having been on air since 1965, the soap opera has introduced many fan-favourite characters that have since left the production, but remain memorable to fans long after they bid farewell to their beloved characters.
One such character is that of Haley Chen, who was introduced on the soap opera in 2018, and was killed off in 2019. However, the character would continue to feature in a series of flashbacks to help explain the reason for her surprise death.
What is Days of Our Lives about?
Days of Our Lives first premiered on NBC in 1965. To date, the soap opera has a total of over 14 355 episodes, as it continues to grow the number every weeknight.
Created by Allan Chase, Ted Corday and Irna Phillips, it continues to tell an ongoing story which is, “A chronicle of the lives, loves, trials and tribulations of the citizens of the fictional city of Salem.”
Considering that the soap opera has been airing for close to six decades, the story has focussed on three decades so far, of the lives and times of the people who live in Salem.
What happened to Haley on Days of Our Lives?
Haley Chen was introduced to Days of Our Lives in December 2018.
Played by Thia Megia, the character’s introduction happened when J.J Deveraux found her unconscious at Salem hospital. We then learnt that Haley was attempting to commit suicide.
Throughout her tenure on the soap opera, we watched as Haley discovered that her mother was DA Melinda Trask, while she escaped deportation for being an illegal immigrant.
Moreover, we watched as her romantic relationship with J.J developed until her untimely death in November 2019.
Her death is revealed following a time jump in the soap opera, when a dishevelled J.J is mourning her passing in front of a plaque that is in honour of her at the hospital.
Though she had passed away in the series, Haley continued to appear in a series of flashbacks revealing her tragic accidental death.
Her death was as a result of Haley losing her balance on a flight of stairs during her confrontation with Kristen, following the unexplained death of her newborn.
Why did Thia Megia leave Days of Our Lives?
No statement was released ahead of the surprising episode, which confirmed the death of Megia’s character.
The episode was part of the 2019/2020 time jump on Days of Our Lives. Even after Haley’s death was confirmed, no statement on the reason for Megia’s departure was shared. However, it seems that the character was written off the soap opera.
Megia has also not commented on her departure, as she is a social media recluse and has not shared a post bidding farewell to the character.
What was Days of Our Lives’ 2019/2020 time jump?
In November 2019, Days of Our Lives surprised viewers with a time jump to the year 2020.
The unique time jump was told through the perspective of Jennifer Deveraux, who had fallen into a coma after being pushed over a balcony by her cousin Hope, who was brainwashed into thinking that she is Princess Gina Von Amberg again.
The soap opera would then fill in the gaps through testimonials and flashbacks to catch the audience and Jennifer up with what happened.
What is Thia Megia doing now?
In light of the suggestions that Thia Megia was written off Days of Our Lives as Haley Chen, it is safe to presume that the actress had not lined up new work at the time of her exit from the soap opera.
However, in the close to two years since her stint as Haley, Megia has not been a part of any other television or film production.
Moreover, her social media presence dates back to 2018, before she made her debut on Days of Our Lives. Therefore, there is no telling what Megia is currently doing.
Conclusion
Days of Our Lives has been part of NBC’s roster since 1965. In the close to six decades of the soap operas run, there have been many characters that have made an impact and were subsequently written off the soap opera with no explanation as to why the character is killed off.
Most recently, a character that was killed off the soap opera was that of Haley Chen during the bizarre time jump in the world of the story.
Haley was killed when Jennifer Deveraux was comatosed and appeared for her last episodes in flashback sequences revealing the cause of her death.