After Camila Banus Left 'Days of Our Lives' She Was Recast — but Why Did She Leave?

It's not uncommon for actors on soap operas like Days of Our Lives to be recast with new actors when they leave, whether it's on their own accord or not. But when the replacement for Camila Banus showed up to play Gabi Hernandez on the long-running soap, fans were a bit taken aback. And some of them were left wondering why Camila left Days of Our Lives in the first place.

When Gabi was written out of the show, the character was sent to prison, and some fans took that to mean her character wouldn't be back. But apparently, the show's writers wanted Gabi to return, even if Camila had moved on. And since Gabi is now played by someone else, there's new attention brought to the character that Camila played for more than 10 years.

In May 2023, Camila made the decision to leave Days of Our Lives after 13 years on the show. She explained the reasoning in piece for TODAY and said that she left Days of Our Lives because her dreams for her career had "surpassed" what she could accomplish on the soap. And so, she moved on after more than a decade as fan favorite Gabi. Though she added that, while she missed plenty of personal family events because of the long hours and days spent filming the show, she also feels like it was worth it in the end.

But another part of the reason Camila left Days of Our Lives stems from her need to see what else she could do as an actor to honor her Cuban immigrant parents, who had supported her. And after her father died by suicide, Camila knew she wanted to do more and to reach for her dreams in a way her father hadn't been able to do for himself.

Following her Days of Our Lives exit, Camila did start to build a new kind of career for herself. In 2024, she starred in a Tubi movie called Final Heist, and she was also part of the Tampa Bay Film Circle's Script Lab's bi-weekly workshop. By all accounts, it seems like Camila has no regrets about leaving the show.

While some viewers had expected Camila's character to fade to the background, in prison, after Camila left the show, apparently the writers had other plans in mind. In June 2024, Cherie Jimenez joined Days of Our Lives as the "new" Gabi, in the show's effort to recast the character rather than get rid of her for good following Camila's exit.

Although the actor has been in plenty of other television shows, like Pretty Little Liars and NCIS,and she's known for being married to model/actor Sean Faris, longtime fans of Days of Our Lives (and Camila) have shared their disappointment at the replacement actor. Following her introduction on the show, one fan tweeted, "Not sure how I feel about the new Gabi." Others shared their concerns in the comments on Camila's Instagram.

But for what it's worth, there are fans who are eager to see what Cherie does with the role. And Camila seems like she is thriving since leaving the show and her character behind.

Days of Our Lives is now streaming on Peacock.

Why Did Tamara Braun's Ava Vitali Leave 'Days of Our Lives'? Here's How She Left

Eric Brady Looked Different on 'Days of Our Lives' — Greg Vaughan Explains His Absence

These Black Soap Opera Divas Made Daytime TV History — Where Are They Now?