Jay Kenneth Johnson (Philip Kiriakis) and Shelley Hennig (Stephanie Johnson) Leave Days of Our Lives

Soap Opera Digest has reported that two more Days of Our Lives actors entwined in the love quadrangle that hinged on baby Parker's paternity remaining secret, are leaving the show. Jay Kenneth Johnson and Shelley Hennig will be departing Days Of Our Lives, with no news of the future of their characters, Philip Kiriakis and Stephanie Johnson.

Shelly Hennig - Stephanie Johnson

Hot on the heels of the news that Mark Hapka, Dr. Nathan Horton, had been let go from Days of our Lives comes the news that Shelley Hennig, his onscreen girlfriend (until recently) is also leaving the show.

Shelley Hennig has portrayed Stephanie Johnson, Patch and Kayla's dare-devil race car driving, daughter since 2006, after taking over the role from Shayna Rose. Her last date of taping is February 2, 2011. Hennig scored a nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Daytime Drama at last year's Daytime Emmy's for her work as Stephanie Johnson.

During her short tenure as an adult on Days of Our Lives, Stephanie Johnson has extinguished the male talent pool for her age group.

While working for Jeremy Horton as a flight attendant for Jeremy's airline, the two become close, but their relationship is anything but smooth as Jeremy continues to womanize and worse still abuse Stephanie. When max Brady reveals the truth behind Jeremy's airline, that it is a front for bringing Russian call girls into Vegas, Stephanie and max again explore their feelings for eachother.

While trying to trap the suspected Salem University, campus rapist, Ford Decker, which puts the brakes on her relationship with Max for a while, and they finally break up when Max continually sided with his new found manipulative and scheming sister, Melanie Layton, over her.

Stephanie takes a job at Titan and she and Philip Kiriakis began to date. As Stephanie go to know Philip, however, she wasn't particularly fond of his cut throat business nature and ended the relationship with Philip when she found him kissing Melanie.

Stephanie then found love in the arms of Melanie's ex, Nathan Horton, but was quick to realize he was still smitten with Mel and proceeded to manipulate events to keep Melanie and Nathan apart, including withholding a letter Melanie had written to Nathan, prior to marrying Philip.

Jay Kenneth Johnson - Philip Kiriakis

Also leaving Days Of Our Lives is fan favorite, Jay Kenneth Johnson, who portrays Philip Kiriakis, His last air date is yet to be set.

Jay Kenneth Johnson first appeared as Philip Kiriakis in 1999, as part of the Salem High crowd that also included Shaun Brady, Belle Black, and Ghoul Girl (Chloe Lane). In 2002, Philip joined the military and left Salem.

When Philip returned to Salem he was sporting a new face and minus a leg, and played by Kyle Brandt. When Philip again went off to war, he returned with another new face, this time explained onscreen by means of a face transplant, and was again portrayed from 2007 until present by Jay Kenneth Johnson.

Philip Kiriakis has had the propensity to become entrenched in love quadrangles, resulting in parenthood. In High School he lusted after Belle Black, but settled with Chloe when Belle chose Shawn Brady over him.

Later when Belle Black did marry Philip, and Shawn married Belle's best friend Mimi Lockhart (both were on the rebound, Shawn from Belle, and Mimi from Rex DiMera), Philip was ultimately unable to hold onto his wife when it was revealed that Claire, the daughter Philip thought was his with Belle, actually turned out to be Shawn's.

As part of that drawn out storyline, Belle and Philip and Shawn and Mimi both underwent in vitro fertilization to have a baby. Reminiscent of the circumstances of Philip's own birth, where Vivian had Kat and Victor's embryo implanted in her in an effort to win Victor away from Kate, Salem' s "gloved hand" performed and egg switch during the in vitro procedure. While Belle lost her and Shawn's baby, Mimi's surrogate went on to deliver Mimi and Philip's son, Tyler. Philip passed up fatherhood of a child that wasn't Belle's and allowed Tyler to be adopted.

Philip's most recent love quadrangle featuring Nathan Horton, Stephanie Johnson, and Melanie Layton, has resulted in two additional pregnancies. The first, the result of a one night stand with Chloe, when he though Melanie was cheating on him with her ex, Nathan, was the center of a "who switched the paternity results" mystery (It turned out to be Caroline Brady).

Though Stephanie planned to switch Chloe's paternity results so it appeared that Chloe's fiancé Daniel Jonas was her baby's father, she summoned the courage, but in the process learned that someone else had. Stephanie, however kept quiet believing (correctly) that if Melanie found out Philip had cheated on her with Chloe, she would leave Philip and return to Nathan, leaving Stephanie, Nathan's current girlfriend, out in the cold.

During the entire paternity mystery storyline, Philip Kiriakis was content not to know whether Chloe's child was his. Since the exposure of Parker's true paternity at his christening, Philip has also learned that Melanie, his estranged wife is also expecting. This child, however, Philip seems keen to claim.

With three of the four actors instrumental in portraying the above quadrangle departing Days of Our Lives, there is no shortage of storyline candidates.

Will Nathan forgive Stephanie her part in the paternity cover-up allowing them to leave Salem together? Or could Philip possible disown another child, reunite with Stephanie and take a post at Titan International. Or will all three characters remain in Salem, sporting new faces?

Tune into Days of Our Lives weekdays on NBC. Days Of Our Lives airs at 1pm in most markets.

Sources:

Soap Opera Digest
Soap Opera Fan (www.soapoperafan.com)

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