DAYS RECAP — July 23: Tate Signs Away His Baby, Sophia’s Lie Grows Deeper, and Doug Gets SLAPPED!

On Days of our Lives today, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Sophia spins a web of lies, Doug bears the wrath of two angry women, Gabi and Tony strike a deal, and Xander and Sarah reach a truce.

What Happened on Days of our Lives

At Titan-DiMera, Sarah came upon Xander and Victoria playing with building blocks. As she smiled at the scene, Xander spotted her and urged Victoria to greet her mother. Sarah reluctantly approached and pledged to Xander she wasn’t there to fight about Victoria – she had just wanted to see her daughter. Xander said he understood and handed over Victoria.

Later, Xander settled Victoria in her crib and explained that she’d been napping earlier since being with him. Sarah was glad she had at least gotten to see her daughter, and Xander remarked that he was kept from the girl, so he could relate. Although tensions threatened to flare, Xander calmed and said his struggles getting reacquainted with his daughter had made him realize he didn’t desire a war with Sarah. By fighting, they were hurting their daughter the most. Xander wanted an amicable custody agreement.

Sarah believed the only thing standing in the way of a compromise was Xander’s anger. While she knew Xander would never hurt Victoria, she worried about their daughter being around him when he could fly into a rage at any moment. Xander made a promise that he wouldn’t “lay a hand” on Philip, but Sarah reminded him of his pattern of violent attacks, namely with Brady and with Eric. Xander didn’t argue the point, but he declared them at a “standstill” if Sarah couldn’t trust him. Sarah had an idea, but she warned Xander wouldn’t like it.

Sarah cautiously suggested anger management counseling. Xander didn’t react well at first and accused Sarah of “teaming up” with Philip to make him look weak at the company. Sarah clarified that she didn’t mean Xander should take the company’s anger management courses; he should see Marlena instead. Xander asked if Sarah would agree to joint custody if he underwent therapy with Marlena. As long as Xander made a sincere effort, Sarah vowed, they could work out a custody arrangement.

Xander agreed to the terms, on one condition: Sarah and he needed a formal arrangement, since the trust in their marriage had been “irrevocably broken." He suggested a legal separation. Tearing up, Sarah concurred with his assessment that their separation was “inevitable.”

Xander would get Melinda to draw up the papers and include a custody arrangement. “For Victoria,” Sarah and Xander sadly affirmed.

At Rafe’s house, Arianna – relieved to be home – greeted Gabi and the baby. She apologized to Gabi for getting involved with “loser” Doug and lying to her mom about it. Gabi refused Ari’s invitation for an “I told you so” and hugged her daughter instead.

Later, when Arianna returned from putting the baby to sleep, she asked Gabi if they could forego dinner because she had something she needed to do first. Gabi correctly surmised that her daughter wanted to give Doug a piece of her mind, as it’s what Gabi would do in her place. Gabi agreed, on the condition that she come with Ari. Gabi also wanted to unload on the “SOB.”

Ari implored her mom to let her handle it, and she promised she was more than capable of giving “that jerk hell” for both of them. Gabi eventually acquiesced but let Ari know that she had “eyes and ears” – aka “Grandpa Roman" – in the pub. Ari reassured Gabi she wanted nothing more to do with Doug.

Later, Gabi went to the DiMera Mansion for a meeting with Tony. After chatting briefly about Ari, Gabi urged Tony to get to the point of his summons. Tony revealed that his “associate” Rita had kept him updated about the happenings at Titan-DiMera, and Rita had identified Gabi as a “disgruntled employee.” Gabi conceded the point, so Tony proposed that Gabi work with him to wrest DiMera back from Kiriakis control. When Tony asked her to get dirt on Xander and Philip, however, Gabi declined.

Tony was taken aback and reminded Gabi that Xander and Philip were micro-managing the company she had created. Gabi acknowledged her prior issues, but she’d had a change of heart about Xander after he’d shown her kindness and compassion during Arianna’s kidnapping. Tony mourned the seeming demise of Gabi’s “survival instincts,” but Gabi assured him those instincts were still very much intact. She just wasn’t willing to be Tony’s mole-for-hire. Before Gabi could leave, Tony made a follow-up offer to “sweeten the pot”: Gabi would be installed as the new CEO of DiMera Enterprises.

Gabi was intrigued by the proposal but pondered why Tony wouldn’t want the position to go to himself or another DiMera, even a "resurrected" DiMera. “Once a DiMera, always a DiMera,” Tony replied, referencing Gabi's marriage to Stefan. He argued the family was bound not so much by blood but by loyalty, which prompted a brief bit of banter between himself and Gabi about the DiMeras’ checkered past with loyalty.

Tony indicated to Gabi that he'd put the past behind him and that he was content with his life. He did have one small request: should Gabi accept his offer, he wanted to stay on as a behind-the-scenes “advisor.” Gabi agreed to the terms, and Tony and she shook on it.

At the Brady Pub, Doug rushed to embrace Holly and said he would have talked to her sooner. He thought she might not want to see him. Holly pulled back from the hug with a scowl and replied, “Because my kidnapping was your fault?” She blasted Doug for not being more forthcoming about the loan sharks’ new threats and also confronted him for his duplicity with both her and Ari. Doug took responsibility for it all and admitted that while he liked Ari, he had only been with her because he couldn’t be with Holly.

Doug called himself stupid for ever believing anything could happen between Holly and him, but Holly confessed she’d briefly entertained the possibility. Doug hadn’t wanted to take advantage of Holly’s break-up with Tate and had, in the process, screwed everything up. “So you screwed Ari instead?” Holly snapped. Doug was sorry, but Holly believed it was Ari who was owed the apology. Doug said he intended to talk to Ari before he left town, and his revelation took Holly by surprise.

Doug and Holly settled at a table as Doug pitched his reasons for leaving. If he left town, he would take the danger with him, as he didn’t think the loan sharks would risk going after the girls again, given Ari’s uncle was an FBI agent. Holly acknowledged Doug’s points and asked if he intended to say goodbye to Julie. Doug didn’t think Julie would want to see him, but she did have the right to unload on him a final time.

Ari arrived and immediately approached Doug and Holly’s table. Doug stood up and offered her an apology. She responded by slapping him across the face. Doug said he deserved it, and Holly got up to leave so the two could have privacy. Before she departed, Holly and Doug wished each other well.

After realizing Doug planned to leave town, Ari stated she needed to tell him how she really felt. Ari started by saying she had cared about Doug. When he tried to return the sentiment, she shut him down. Doug had used her and then endangered her life, and she never wanted him to contact her again. Ari wished she could give herself a lobotomy so she could forget him.

“You’re already forgettable,” Ari concluded before storming off. Later, back at Rafe’s house, Ari cradled the baby and confided that while she was angry at Doug, she had really liked him and would miss him.

At Marlena’s place, Tate worriedly asked Sophia if she meant the baby had died. Sophia apologized for her choice of words and assured Tate the baby – “she” – was fine. As Sophia came inside, Brady entered the room as well. Sophia told father and son that the adoptive parents had been with her when she had given birth. They had wanted to take the baby home “immediately,” and she had let them.

Tate was flabbergasted and raged at Sophia for depriving him of the chance to meet the lawyer, the adoptive parents, and – most importantly – the baby. Sophia, caught off-guard by the level of Tate’s anger, tearfully apologized. She had felt it was fate when she had gone into labor with the baby’s new parents by her side, and she hadn’t wanted to put herself through having to say goodbye. Tate angrily countered that he had wanted to say goodbye. Brady intervened and reminded the teens that it wasn’t over until paperwork had been signed.

Sophia pulled papers from her bag and claimed the lawyer had looked them over. When she extended them to Tate, though, he refused to sign them. Brady again stepped in and tried to calm the situation. Sophia explained that she’d attempted to contact Tate but he wasn’t answering his phone. Tate briefly updated her on the situation with Holly and Ari.

Sophia expressed sympathies for the ordeal but stressed to Tate that she’d been through an ordeal as well: having given birth in a strange town, surrounded by strangers. Brady empathized with Sophia and, once Tate calmed down, he did, too. Tate raised the possibility that Sophia had made a “snap decision” under duress. He asked Sophia for the adoptive parents’ address so that he could meet the baby and assess if the situation “felt right” to him.

Sophia told Tate he couldn’t see the baby because she’d promised the adoptive couple time to bond with the baby. Tate said he hadn’t agreed to those terms and, in fact, both Sophia and he had settled on an open adoption. Sophia promised Tate the couple had agreed to send pictures and give regular updates about the baby. She brought up a photo on her phone and handed it to Tate as proof of the promise. In the photograph, a smiling man and woman cradled a newborn infant.

Tate and Brady got emotional at the sight of Tate’s “daughter.” Brady requested details about the adoptive parents. Sophia claimed the couple were both doctors, active volunteers, and active members of the church. She was concerned they would back out if Tate interfered.

Sophia told Tate that the circumstances, although unexpected, had worked out better than they could have hoped. Their baby would have a good home, and they could move on with their lives. After looking to his dad for acknowledgement, Tate agreed that Sophia had done what was best for the baby, and that’s all that mattered. He signed the papers. Sophia thanked him and stressed it was for the best.

Tate asked Sophia to send him the picture of the baby and any future photos sent from the adoptive parents. Sophia asked if Tate hated her, and he assured her he didn’t. She turned down Brady’s invitation to drive her home and claimed her mom was waiting outside for her. Following an awkward goodbye with Tate, Sophia attempted to compose herself outside in the hallway.

Back inside, Tate lamented how he hadn’t gotten to meet or hold his daughter. Brady wondered if Tate was having second thoughts about the adoption. Tate said he wasn’t, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell Theresa and the rest of the family about the birth. Brady agreed to deliver the news to their loved ones, then hugged his son as Tate teared up. After Brady left the room to begin making calls, Tate got a call from Holly.

Holly thanked Tate again for saving her life and jokingly called his rescue of her “hot.” She detected something was wrong when Tate turned down her invitation to come over to the mansion. Tate filled Holly in on Sophia’s story and said he needed time to himself. Holly let him go but urged him to get in touch if he needed anything. Tate said he would, hung up, and sank back onto the couch as he absorbed the developments.

Meanwhile, in Horton Town Square, Sophia called Melinda with an update. She confirmed Tate hadn’t been suspicious, but she fretted how much Tate would hate her if he knew the truth.

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