Susan Hayes shares shocking news with fans after DOOL’s 60th anniversary Days of our lives spoilers
“The Beginning of Forever”: Susan Seaforth Hayes’ Emotional 60th Anniversary Message That Shook Salem
By TV Days Drama Digest Staff
Hello, beloved drama devotees — loyal residents of Salem and every heartbeat that has ever pulsed to the rhythm of “Like sands through the hourglass.”
Today, we stand at a glittering crossroads in daytime history. Sixty years. Six decades of love, loss, laughter, and legacy as Days of Our Lives celebrates its diamond anniversary — a milestone no one could have predicted back in 1965 when the first strains of that iconic theme played across American living rooms.
But this isn’t just a celebration. It’s an event. A revelation. A soul-stirring moment that will echo through the halls of television history. Because at the heart of the celebration stands one woman — the indomitable Susan Seaforth Hayes, the living embodiment of grace, grit, and Salem glamour.
Known to millions as Julie Olson Williams, Susan has been the beating heart of Days of Our Lives since 1968 — surviving comas, kidnappings, villains, and even the near-extinction of the daytime genre itself. And on this monumental evening, she stood before her fans and peers with a message so raw, so powerful, it sent shockwaves through the industry.
Chapter 1: The Anniversary That Shook Salem — Night of Diamonds, Drama, and Destiny
Picture it: November 8, 2025. The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood transformed into a breathtaking replica of Horton Town Square — crystal chandeliers dripping like frozen tears, red roses cascading from balconies, and the haunting melody of Days’ theme swelling through the air.
On the red carpet, decades of Days legends reunited. Deidre Hall (Marlena), Drake Hogestyn (John), Stephen Nichols (Steve), Mary Beth Evans (Kayla), and Suzanne Rogers (Maggie) shimmered under the lights. But when Susan Seaforth Hayes, 82, appeared in an emerald gown that perfectly mirrored Julie’s iconic cruise-ship wedding dress from 1981 — time itself seemed to hold its breath.
At her side, Bill Hayes, her real-life and on-screen husband of 51 years, stood dapper and proud. Together, they were living history — the personification of the show’s eternal mantra:
“Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”
As the audience rose to their feet and the cameras rolled for the live anniversary special, Susan stepped onto the stage. The teleprompter was blank. This wasn’t scripted television — this was truth.
Chapter 2: The Bombshell Message
Susan took the microphone, her voice trembling not with age, but with emotion.
“I never thought I’d still be here,” she began softly, “and I’m not going anywhere.”
The crowd fell silent.
“Sixty years ago, a little show about families in Salem began. Fifty-seven years ago, I stepped onto that set thinking it was a stepping stone. I was wrong — gloriously, heartbreakingly wrong.
This show didn’t just give me a career. It gave me a life. It gave me a husband. It gave me all of you.
When Julie was possessed, when Doug was buried alive, when we danced at our 50th anniversary — you were there. You are there.
So hear me now: I am not leaving. Julie Olson Williams is woven into Salem’s soul.
As long as I have breath and love in my heart — I will be here. This is not goodbye. This is ‘to be continued.’”
The crowd erupted. Grown men wept. Social media exploded. Within minutes, #SusanSeaforthHayes was trending worldwide.
But the most seismic revelation came not from the stage — but from the quiet, intimate post-gala interview that Susan granted exclusively to TV Days Drama Digest.
Chapter 3: The Road Not Taken — A Starlet’s Dream of Hollywood Glory
“Darling, I was 24 and thought soap operas were a pit stop,” she confessed with a knowing smile.
Born into Hollywood royalty — her mother, Elizabeth Harrower, a respected actress and writer — Susan was raised for the spotlight. Before Days, she had already appeared on General Hospital and The Young Marrieds.
“I saw myself opposite Paul Newman or Steve McQueen. Maybe in Rome for a Fellini film,” she mused. “My agent gave me a one-year contract on Days. I told him, ‘If I’m not a movie star by then, I’m gone.’”
She laughs, but her eyes betray a wistful flicker.
That one-year contract turned into a lifetime. By 1970, Days fans couldn’t imagine Salem without Julie — or without Doug. Susan and Bill’s chemistry was electric, their love story legendary. They became the first soap couple to grace the cover of TV Guide.
But her success came at a price. In a stunning revelation, Susan shared that she turned down major film and Broadway opportunities — including a supporting role in The Godfather (later given to Diane Keaton).
“I couldn’t walk away from Doug and Julie’s wedding storyline,” she said simply. “It was the event of the decade. And I couldn’t leave Bill.”
Her sacrifices cost her Hollywood stardom — but built a legacy that outlived them all.
Chapter 4: The Personal Toll — The Price of Immortality
Susan and Bill’s real-life marriage in 1974 mirrored their on-screen romance. But behind the scenes, the couple faced storms no script could soften.
By the 1980s, Days flirted with cancellation. The infamous Salem Strangler storyline divided fans. Susan and Bill were written out temporarily.
“Doug was ‘killed’ in a plane crash,” Susan recalled. “We sat in our dressing room holding hands, thinking it was the end.”
But Days fans had other plans. They launched letter-writing campaigns that flooded NBC’s mailroom — and Doug was miraculously resurrected.
“The fans saved us,” Susan said. “They always have.”
The decades that followed brought both triumphs and heartbreaks: the loss of co-stars, the migration of Days from NBC to Peacock, and Susan’s private battle with cancer in 2018.
“I was hooked to machines,” she revealed. “And all I could think was — Julie can’t die. Not like this. So I fought. Because of Bill. Because of the fans. Because Salem still needed me.”
Chapter 5: The Fans — Salem’s Unseen Heroes
For Susan, the fans are not just an audience — they’re family. She keeps every letter, every message.
One 1977 letter came from a Vietnam veteran who wrote that Doug singing “The Look of Love” kept him sane during captivity. Another from a 2023 teenager thanked her for inspiring him to come out — saying that Doug and Julie’s love showed him “that real love endures.”
“You think we save you?” she said softly. “You save us.”
She and Bill read fan mail every Sunday. Their scrapbook holds more than 10,000 letters — including one from a woman in hospice who asked Susan to record a message as Julie:
“Darling, death is just a plot twist.”
Susan did. The woman passed peacefully, phone in hand.
Chapter 6: The Future — Julie’s Next Chapter
Retirement? Not in Susan’s vocabulary.
“They’ll have to pry the script from my cold, dead hands,” she laughed.
But she teased major storylines ahead — Days’ way of honoring her six-decade legacy.
In 2026, fans can expect a multi-episode 80th birthday celebration for Julie featuring returns from Kristian Alfonso (Hope), Peter Reckell (Bo), and a shocking twist about Julie’s long-lost child from the 1970s.
Also in development: Doug and Julie: World Tour, a limited Peacock event revisiting the couple’s globe-trotting adventures in Paris, Rome, and New Orleans.
And in perhaps the most poetic twist, Susan revealed she is co-writing a fictional memoir titled Like Sands Through My Hourglass — a story blurring the lines between Susan and Julie, reality and legend.
“There’s a young actress I see on set sometimes,” she said with a secretive smile. “She reminds me of me — that fire, that sparkle. Maybe someday she’ll carry Julie’s spirit forward. But not yet. Not while I can still dance.”
Chapter 7: The Legacy — Why Susan Seaforth Hayes Is the Soul of Daytime
In a genre increasingly under threat, Susan Seaforth Hayes stands as the last lioness of daytime drama. Over 18,000 scenes, four Emmy nominations, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, she’s outlasted 11 U.S. presidents, 15 showrunners, and three network homes.
Her annual “Doug and Julie Cruise” charity event has raised over $1 million, and her influence stretches far beyond the soundstages of Burbank.
As our conversation drew to a close, Susan took our hand and whispered words that capture her essence — and the enduring soul of Days of Our Lives:
“I thought I’d be discovered,” she said. “Instead, I discovered me.
In Julie’s strength, I found mine.
In Doug’s love, I found Bill’s.
In Salem’s chaos, I found home.
And in you — the fans — I found family.”
As Days of Our Lives turns 60, Susan Seaforth Hayes’ message isn’t a farewell — it’s a battle cry.
Because as she reminded us on that unforgettable night in Hollywood:
“This is not the end. This is the beginning of forever.”
So tell us, Salem faithful — what did Susan’s message mean to you?
Will you be watching when Julie blows out 80 candles?
Will you sail with Doug and Julie one more time?
Drop your thoughts, your tears, and your theories below — and don’t forget to subscribe to TV Days Drama Digest for exclusive interviews, set secrets, and the next wave of Days revelations that promise to keep our hourglass turning forever.
