Days of Our Lives Recap - Monday, August 18, 2025 | Gabi Plays Her Cards Right With Xander and Tony While EJ Hits Rock Bottom

On Monday’s Days of Our Lives, Gabi pulled off a slick power move at Titan-DiMera, EJ wallowed in self-pity after Johnny cut him loose, and Marlena decided it was time to focus on her own healing. Meanwhile, Stephanie caught on to Steve’s investigation while Alex got marching orders about her from Xander.

Gabi | DAYS, Peacock

Stephanie Gets Suspicious

Stephanie was touched when Alex surprised her with a hard copy of her book One Stormy Night. Sweet moment, right? But things soured when she realized her father is the one digging into Alex and Philip’s shady business dealings. Steve showed up at her place, and it didn’t take long for Stephanie to put the pieces together. She recognized the alias “Daniel Lucas” from Steve’s undercover days and demanded answers. He refused to break confidentiality, which only made her more suspicious. By the end of their tense exchange, it was clear Stephanie knew far more than she was letting on.

Gabi Signs on the Dotted Line

At Titan-DiMera, Gabi and Xander agreed to keep their lips locked in a vault and move on from their kiss. But Gabi could not resist calling Xander the red flag in his own nanny search. She also hinted at ideas to make the company stronger, though Xander was too busy barking orders at Alex to notice. After Alex admitted he failed to uncover the investigator’s identity, Xander demanded he convince Stephanie to help them. His threat was crystal clear: do it, or else.

Later, Gabi made sure to secure her own future with Tony. She insisted on perks like access to the DiMera jet, a hefty life insurance policy, and protections for Ari. Once Tony agreed, Gabi happily signed her deal, looking more powerful than ever.

Marlena Takes a Step Back

Belle confided in Marlena about her disastrous involvement with EJ and how guilty she feels about disappointing John’s memory. Marlena reassured her daughter and then dropped her own newsflash: she is taking a leave of absence from the hospital. She will only treat a few private patients until she feels ready to return. Kayla supported her decision and even handed over a list of grief groups to remind Marlena she is never alone.

EJ Loses It All

Chanel wanted Johnny to stop obsessing over proving the video was a deepfake and focus on clearing his own name, but Johnny was having none of it. He assured his wife he would represent himself now that he had fired EJ. Chanel was horrified, but Johnny was determined.

Meanwhile, EJ sulked to Tony about his ruined life. Tony saw right through him and guessed that EJ had the video doctored. Instead of pulling a page from Stefano’s playbook, Tony suggested EJ try something completely foreign to a DiMera: admit he was wrong and beg for forgiveness. Belle also tore into him later, reminding him that he has squandered every chance he has ever been given.

And when Johnny and Chanel finally arrived, Johnny exploded. He accused his father of destroying his wife in court and forcing him to choose sides. The verdict? Johnny chose Chanel, and EJ was left standing in the ruins of his own making.

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