‘Days of Our Lives’ Recasts Jennifer: How Long Will Cady McClain Replace Melissa Reeves?

Melissa Reeves Days of Our Lives Season 48 Jennifer
Chris Haston/NBC

Jennifer Horton is going to look a bit different on Days of Our Lives, but will it be a permanent recasting?

Due to the pandemic, Melissa Reeves did not head back from Tennessee to California when filming began at the beginning of September, and Cady McClain (The Young and the RestlessAll My Children) has instead stepped in to take over the role — temporarily, Soap Opera Digest reports.

The recasting does come after Reeves was in the news following her costars and others speaking out against her anti-Black Matter Lives views on social media in June. A follower had noted, in a since-deleted tweet, that Reeves liked Instagram posts from right-wing activist Candace Owens that expressed a strong anti-Black Lives Matter movement stance.

This isn’t the first recasting reportedly due to the coronavirus pandemic (which caused production to shut down in March) since filming has resumed. On General HospitalLindsay Hartley briefly stepped in to play Sam McCall Morgan after Kelly Monaco had to quarantine for 14 days “after a breathing problem with [her] mask,” the actress’ mother explained on Twitter at the end of July.

Days of Our Lives was the last daytime drama to resume production this summer, due to the fact that the NBC soap has enough episodes banked to go into October.

Days of Our Lives, Weekdays, NBC