She made a choice, and she’s sticking to it.
Kristian Alfonso stunned fans when she announced she was leaving “Days of Our Lives” after 37 years, but now, she’s shedding light on what led to her decision.
The actress told "Entertainment Tonight" that she made the decision after executive producer Ken Corday informed her about a plan to write her off of the NBC soap for five months.
Despite plans to bring her back for a brand new storyline with a Navy Seal, Alfonso says she was “taken aback.”
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“It was not something that had ever been discussed but that’s what it was. And to come back in five to six months, or four to five months — whatever that time frame was — I just thought, 'You know what? It’s time to really write a new chapter,'" she told the outlet.
The 56-year-old said she’s confident in her decision and doesn’t plan on “on returning and popping in as others have done in the past.”
“I think that chapter is closed and a new one needs to be started,” she explained.
Following her public exit, Alfonso said “it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions,” but after playing Hope Williams Brady for nearly four decades, she said she has “no regrets.”
Her final episode, which was shot prior to the coronavirus shutdowns, is slated to air in October, but she defended her decision to make the announcement now stating she “felt that I owed it to the audience.”
"The viewers who have watched for so long, I didn't want to hide anything. I've always been upfront, very honest, sometimes I get in trouble for being so honest. ... But I just felt that I really wanted to share what my decision was. I didn't want it to be a shock or a surprise when all the sudden, you know, Hope just appears in the attic or she's off looking for someone or maybe she's taken a trip or she's, I don't know what they would come up with," she added. "I had really thought about leaving, mulling it over I'd say probably for the last few years."
On July 6, Alfonso released a statement on Instagram announcing her exit and saying she is “forever grateful to NBC and the late Betty Corday, who took a chance on me many years ago and changed my life.”
"DOOL" was renewed for a 56th season in 2019.
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