Days of Our Lives’ Alison Sweeney opened up about what it meant to her to come back to the show and honor Drake Hogestyn.

When Sami last returned toDays of Our Lives, it was to console Johnny, who had learned of the awful thing his father, EJ, had done to his mom. She was able to console him and promptly left town again. Now she’s back because she hasn’t had a chance to pay her respects to John, who died a hero. Alison Sweeney spoke about Sami’s latest visit.

Silent Tears, Strong Ties

“I love Sami, I love Salem, I love everyone there,” Sweeney told TV Insider. “It is a second home to me. I can’t imagine not having it in my life.” She explained that she’s extremely thankful to have the show in her life, and was disappointed that she couldn’t return for John’s funeral. John’s portrayer, Drake Hogestyn, had passed away from pancreatic cancer in September 2024, so coming back was extremely important to her.

“I really wanted Sami to be a part of the story of saying goodbye to John, as well as being there to mourn with Marlena,” she stated. The actress was very happy that the show was able to accommodate her schedule. In returning to Salem, Sami will also reunite with her mom, Marlena (Deidre Hall), and remarked that fans will be in for a treat, previewing, “It is one of those mom/daughter moments where you really don’t have to say anything.”

READ THIS: Take a look at what’s coming up next on DAYS.

He Was Always Kind

Over the years, Sami had been rather unkind to John. She noted that the writers reiterated the fact that Sami had apologized to John for her behavior. Sweeney recalled that in her last return, she told Johnny that she was in therapy, and noted, “That kind of self-reflection would really make her aware of how poisonous she was to John.”

READ THIS: Find out about Sweeney’s new podcast.

She further noted the sad point that, “Now that he’s gone and they don’t have years to unwind all that bad blood.” Sweeney also explained that even though Sami was mean to John, she relished the fact that she would get to work with Hogestyn. “He never missed a chance to be kind and caring to everyone we worked with,” she praised.