‘Days of Our Lives’ Star Victoria Konefal Quits Series as Full-Time Cast Member

The Days of Our Lives exodus continued Friday with another major castmember leaving. Victoria Konefal, who plays Ciara Brady, will no longer appear on the show regularly, although she could make guest appearances. Konefal’s decision came after her on-screen mother, Kristian Alfonso, announced she would be leaving the series earlier this month after almost four decades.

Konefal joined Days in 2017 and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2019. She announced her plans to leave in a statement to Deadline, calling it an “honor and a privilege” to work on the historic NBC daytime drama. “The experience and knowledge I’ve accumulated over the past three years is irreplaceable, and I’m forever grateful for it,” Konefal said. “I would love the opportunity to continue working with my castmates in the future, but at this time I will not be returning as a full-time cast member.”

“To the cast and crew, it was an absolute pleasure working with you,” Konefal, 23, continued. “To the loving and unwaveringly supportive fans, thank you. Thank you for joining me on my journey of finding Ciara Brady. It was a beautiful one. Cheers to some of the best days of my life.” Before appearing on the series, Konefal appeared in the 2016 Modern Family episode “Blindsided.”

On July 6, Alfonso shocked fans when she announced she was leaving the show 37 years after she first played Hope Williams Brady. “I’ve already filmed my last episode several months ago,” Alfonso wrote in a statement she shared on Instagram. “Finally, to the incredibly loyal fans of Days, many of you have been with me on this journey from the beginning. I cannot thank you enough for your generosity, love, and support. I could not have done it without YOU!!!”

Greg Vaughan, who has played Eric Brady since 2012, announced he would be leaving Days as well. The Daytime Emmy winner appeared on General Hospital stars Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson’s podcast That’s Awesome, where he confirmed he “finished my reign at Days.” Vaughan still left the door open for his return in the future, adding that he is “not gonna say it’s over.”

Days of Our Lives is set to resume filming on Sept. 1 after the coronavirus pandemic forced production to go on hold. Unlike the other daytime soaps though, Days had enough episodes in the tank to continue airing new episodes through early October. Konefal and Alfonso’s last episodes have already been filmed and will air soon.

The cast exodus began earlier this year after the show was picked up for its 56th season. The entire cast was released from their contracts before the show was picked up. Other members of the cast who have left the show in 2020 include Casey Moss, Chandler Massey, Freddie Smith and Galen Gering.