Days of Our Lives Recap - Friday, July 4, 2025 | EJ Pushes Kristen to Coach Rachel, While Belle’s Caught Between Nephew and Boyfriend

Johnny’s future is hanging by a thread, EJ’s playing both lawyer and puppet master, and Belle’s got one heel in the courtroom and the other in DiMera drama. Meanwhile, Chanel’s loyalty is stretched thin, and Stephanie finds herself caught between book deals and PR gigs. Welcome to your July 4th Days of Our Lives recap, where fireworks popped onscreen long before sunset.

Belle | DAYS, Peacock

Stephanie and Alex Mix Romance With Career Moves

Stephanie and Alex spent their day off cuddling and canoodling before planning to watch fireworks and check in on Uncle Roman post-Johnny’s arrest. But not even Independence Day could keep Stephanie from business talk. She dropped the bomb that EJ asked her to do PR for the hospital. Alex was understandably stunned since, you know, EJ once locked her in a morgue. Stephanie brushed it off, saying she’d be working with her mom and hasn’t made a decision yet. Alex had his own pitch: he wants to publish her bestselling book under Titan’s banner. Stephanie didn’t shoot him down. The two headed to the Brady Pub for snacks and small talk with Kate, who connected the dots that Stephanie is the mysterious author of One Stormy Night. Kate also accepted a job offer from Alex, without telling Roman first. That’s gonna go over well.

Roman Struggles With Guilt

Speaking of Roman, he’s still agonizing over covering for Johnny. He turned the gun in, yes, but only after wiping Johnny’s prints off it. Kate assured him he did the right thing, but Roman isn’t so sure, especially since both he and Kate could still be suspects. Before her Titan job announcement, he asked her to keep the pub afloat during Johnny’s trial, and of course, Kate agreed. Because if there’s one thing Kate does well, it’s juggling secrets and work shifts.

Brady and Kristen Clash Over Rachel’s Role

At Brady’s place, the topic of Rachel dominated coffee hour. Brady and Kristen panicked over the possibility that their daughter might have to testify. Kristen didn’t hold back, accusing Johnny of shooting EJ. Marlena walked in just in time to hear Kristen slander her grandson and wasn’t having it. She snapped and told Kristen to shut it, loudly. After Marlena stormed out, Kristen and Brady agreed to stay united for Rachel’s sake. Kristen wants unlimited visits while Rachel stays with Brady during the trial, and Brady reluctantly agreed.

Once Kristen left, Marlena returned to find a more peaceful scene and Brady invited her to join them for fireworks later. Nothing says bonding like courtroom chaos and holiday sparklers.

Chanel Shuts Out Paulina While Leaning on Abe

Chanel was reeling and not just over Johnny’s legal troubles. She broke down to Abe, saying she believes in Johnny’s innocence but doubts the system will get it right. Enter Paulina, who showed up hoping to explain herself, only to get shut down hard. Chanel wasn’t in the mood and told her own mother to get out. Paulina tried to play the homeowner card, but Abe wisely deescalated and ushered her out. One thing’s clear, Chanel is not feeling the family love today.

Belle’s Back on the Case... Against Her Boyfriend’s Son

At the station, Paulina told Belle that a judge had un-recused her from Johnny’s case thanks to EJ pulling strings. Now Belle’s stuck prosecuting her own nephew, going head-to-head with her boyfriend. That’s right, she confirmed to Marlena that EJ is now officially the boyfriend. Marlena looked like she tasted something sour. Belle insisted she’ll stay impartial, but told Marlena that if she sends Johnny to prison, her DiMera romance might be toast anyway.

Later, Belle found a memory card on her desk and flashed back to EJ once mentioning a missing camera recording from the night of the shooting. Could this be the evidence Johnny needs? Stay tuned.

EJ Reaches Peak Puppet Master Mode

Over at the DiMera mansion, EJ gave Johnny a cold dose of reality. He laid out just how bad things look for his son, including Rachel’s possible testimony and Roman’s confession to the cops. Johnny pleaded innocence and mentioned Gabi and Ava being at the house that night, along with Kristen. EJ dangled the idea of throwing Kristen under the bus, and Johnny asked if EJ would really fake evidence. EJ played coy and claimed his memory is slowly returning. Translation? He’ll remember whatever it takes to get Johnny off.

Later, Kristen came home and confessed that Rachel had a dream about Johnny with the gun, and Marlena got her to admit it. EJ was furious. He told Kristen she better find a way to fix it. By fix it, he means coach her daughter. Kristen realized exactly what he was asking... to have Rachel lie under oath. EJ didn’t deny it and made it clear that if Johnny goes down, Kristen might go down too.

Johnny Leans on Chanel, But She’s Still Wary of EJ

At home, Johnny updated Chanel on EJ's strategy and said their father-son bond is slowly repairing. Chanel was supportive but wary. She reminded Johnny of all the emotional damage EJ caused and begged him to keep his guard up. Johnny promised he would. As they embraced, the couple looked like they were standing strong, but how long can that last with EJ pulling strings behind the scenes?

That’s all from Salem this Friday. With fireworks in the sky and ticking time bombs in every storyline, next week’s Days of Our Lives is bound to be explosive. Soap Opera Reviews delivers daily spoilers and recaps so you never miss a thing. We live for the drama!