Days of our Lives Recap, January 23, 2026: Chad offers a solution to Thomas

On the Friday, January 23, 2026, episode of Days of our Lives, Jeremy was questioned, Thomas and Chad reached an agreement, and Belle gave Marlena helpful advice.

What happened on Days of our Lives

At the Horton house, Jennifer and Chad agreed not to tell Thomas about Jeremy until they had more information about why the police had taken him in for questioning. Chad asked Jennifer if she believed the accusations against Jeremy. Jennifer was not sure. Chad agreed that it seemed unlikely that Jeremy had been stalking Stephanie, and he hoped that it was a mistake.

Chad changed the subject to the custody case. “Julie said that Thomas wasn’t on board with what we figured out yesterday?” Chad asked. Jennifer explained that Thomas accepted the agreement, but that he was still mistrustful of whether Chad would end his relationship with Cat. “If keeping Cat away from Thomas and Charlotte is what’s best for them, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Chad said.

“I think that’s your intention. But I really think that Thomas needs more than just your word,” Jennifer countered. Alarmed, Chad asked Jennifer if she planned to reopen the custody case. Jennifer said no. Jennifer explained that Thomas needed reassurance. Frustrated, Chad told Jennifer that he refused to let Thomas and Jennifer tell him who he could date.

“This isn’t even about Cat anymore. This is about Thomas and being able to trust his father again,” Jennifer argued. “I will make sure that he understands that this is a promise I will keep,” Chad said. Chad added that if Jennifer intended to be a part of all his future parenting decisions, then he would take her back to court. Before Jennifer could respond, Thomas walked in.

“Your grandma told me that you had some worries about the custody agreement that we came up with,” Chad said. While Jennifer stepped out of the room, Chad sat with Thomas on the couch, and he asked him about his concerns. “I wish things could be back to the way they were,” Thomas said. “So do I,” Chad agreed. Chad stressed that nothing was more important to him than Thomas and Charlotte.

“It absolutely kills me that you feel like you can’t trust me,” Chad said. “I want to,” Thomas said. When Thomas suggested that he could move to Boston if things did not get better, Chad refused to allow it. “I wanna find a way forward that you’re okay with, but I am your father, okay?” Chad said. Chad argued that, as Thomas’s father, he could not allow Thomas to threaten to move out whenever he disagreed with Chad. Thomas said he understood.

“Maybe there is a way that I can give you more than just my word,” Chad said. Chad agreed to add the restriction about dating Cat in the written agreement so that it was a legally binding requirement. “Would that help you trust me again?” Chad asked. “Yeah. It would,” Thomas agreed.

Chad called Melinda and asked her to formalize the Cat agreement. After the call, Chad told Thomas that it was likely they would run into Cat around town. “I don’t want you to jump to conclusions every time I say hello or I help her with a bag of heavy groceries. We can’t pretend she doesn’t exist. But if you don’t want her in your life, then she won’t be,” Chad said. Thomas agreed.

Stephanie was working in her apartment with Alex. “I can’t believe Jeremy made that website about me,” Stephanie said. Stephanie admitted she had been concerned about Jeremy’s return to town, but that she had never expected him to threaten her and Alex. “Let’s just hope that this nightmare is finally behind us,” Alex said. Steve interrupted the couple as they were about to kiss.

“At least now you can finally go home,” Stephanie said. Steve argued that he could not leave until the police formally charged Jeremy and took him into custody. “I’m not letting my guard down. Not yet,” Steve said. Steve told Stephanie and Alex that he had filed a restraining order against Jeremy while the police worked to build a case. “Even though all the evidence points toward Jeremy and the most likely suspect usually turns out to be the correct one, we haven’t proved that he’s the stalker,” Steve said.

Confused, Stephanie asked Steve if he was unsure if Jeremy was to blame. “I think it’s safer if we don’t take anything for granted,” Steve clarified. Steve admitted that it was possible that someone had set up Jeremy, even though the evidence pointed to Jeremy’s guilt. Alex agreed to keep his guard up, but he noted that they no longer needed to give Jeremy the benefit of the doubt as to whether he was a threat. Stephanie agreed.

“And if he comes anywhere near me again, he will be sorry,” Stephanie said. Jada knocked on the door, and Steve let her in. “We had to let him go. There just wasn’t enough evidence,” Jada said. Jada explained that Jeremy had claimed that he did not own the website, and that even if he had, it was not illegal to own it. “So what the hell do we do now?” Alex said. Jada told Stephanie that there was a box in the hallway. After a tense moment, Steve confirmed it was an engagement gift from EJ. However, the frame clearly had a listening device as a leather-clad man listened to everything they were saying.

At the police station, Melinda met with Jeremy. “My go-to is usually Justin Kiriakis. But since I’ve been accused of trying to murder his son, that wasn’t gonna work, obviously. So my cousin, Julie, suggested you,” Jeremy explained. Jeremy told Melinda about the stalker and the website. Jeremy swore to Melinda that he had not paid for the website.

“I’m being set up,” Jeremy said. Melinda scoffed, and she noted that based on the website evidence alone, it was unlikely that the police would charge Jeremy with a crime. Jeremy stressed that he had nothing to confess. Melinda advised Jeremy to wait things out. Jeremy refused to plead guilty to any charge because it would end his career as a teacher.

In the bullpen, Julie told Jada that she was harassing an innocent man. Jada encouraged Julie to go home and rest since she had been waiting at the station all night. Julie refused to leave. Julie asked Jada to let Shawn or JJ question Jeremy. “His cousins? Julie, I don’t have to explain to you why that’s a conflict of interest,” Jada said. With a smirk, Julie noted that the Salem PD had never had an issue with conflicts of interest previously. Jada told Julie that she hoped Jeremy was innocent.

“But if it turns out that Jeremy is this crazy fan who’s a danger to my best friend and her fiance, then he will be brought to justice,” Jada said. Julie told Jada that she believed Jeremy was innocent because he was planning to leave Salem. “Because too many people seem to be unable to forgive and forget all the little mistakes he made when he was a younger man,” Julie explained.

Jada returned to the interrogation room to take Jeremy’s statement. Jeremy stressed that he had not been following, writing to, threatening, or taking pictures of Stephanie and Alex. “I also have no idea who is doing those things,” Jeremy added. Jada said she wanted to believe Jeremy, but she needed the truth. “Either press charges or let my client go,” Melinda said. Melinda argued that the evidence was not enough to charge Jeremy. When Jada told Jeremy not to leave town, he noted he had planned to move. “Don’t leave town,” Jada repeated.

Marlena was staring at John’s memorial card when Belle entered the living room and asked about Julie’s book club meeting. Marlena told Belle what had happened and how she had been unable to talk about her feelings. “What would you tell yourself if you were your own patient?” Belle asked. Marlena said she would advise her patient to grieve in the way that they need.

“Thank you for reminding me of what I tell my clients about grief. They have to be patient with themselves,” Marlena said. With a chuckle, Belle noted that Marlena’s murder mystery book club would be less eventful. “You have a talent for saying the right thing,” Marlena told Belle. Belle asked Marlena if she had talked to Brady. “I know he’s trying very hard to find his own path. I suggested to him that it might be a gift this time that he’s getting. Time that he could be spending with Rachel,” Marlena said. Belle agreed.

Belle suggested that Marlena should run Basic Black in order to preserve John’s legacy. Marlena laughed, and she reminded Belle that she was semi-retired and had no experience running a company. Belle clarified that she had meant to oversee its operation. After a moment, Marlena said she would think about it. Belle told Marlena that she needed to go to work to look at Jeremy’s case. “He’s already been released, but he’s still a suspect,” Belle said.

When Jeremy was released, Julie hugged him tightly. “Were you here the whole time, too?” Jeremy asked in disbelief. Julie said she would not abandon him because she believed he was innocent. Jeremy thanked Julie for her support.

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Julie went to Marlena’s penthouse to argue to Belle that Jeremy was innocent. Julie explained that Jeremy had intended to move away. “Now he’s in limbo. God knows when that investigation will be over,” Julie said. Belle noted that there was no law that mandated Jeremy stay in town, but that it would look suspicious if he left. Belle advised that Jeremy should stay in town and prove his innocence.

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