DAYS Exclusive: Elia Cantu Says Jilted Bride Jada Is Headed For Her ‘Breaking Point’

“Rafe’s” decision to call off his wedding to Jada leaves her “confused, gutted, and heartbroken” on Days of our Lives, reports Elia Cantu, who portrays the jilted bride. The actress weighed in to Soap Opera Digest about her character’s nuptial nightmare and its fallout.

 

Soap Opera Digest: This is your first daytime wedding. Going into it, were you a little sad knowing that it obviously wasn’t going to end well, given that the groom isn’t Rafe but rather his lookalike impostor, Arnold?

Elia Cantu: I wouldn’t say sad, because I’ve been a DAYS watcher. We all know what happens at weddings on DAYS. It’s kind of notorious that you’re never going to get to the “I do’s,” that something is going to happen. The show’s known for that. I actually was kind of honored. I was like, “You know what? I get to be a part of the weddings that don’t really finish.” Because so many of them don’t. I think it adds to the excitement and the drama, and that’s what people tune in for. So I was open to that.

Digest: Jada might have had an inkling that something was off when she walked in on “Rafe” getting a lap dance at his bachelor party. Yet, that didn’t seem to faze her. Why?

Cantu: Jada is living her life and confident. She is not worried about no stripper! It didn’t bother her at all when she saw that. She knows who she is and, well, at least who she thinks is Rafe. She knows that they have a strong bond and a strong love. So she wasn’t worried about the little thing that she walked in on.

Digest: On her actual wedding day, Jada sensed that things weren’t quite right. Do you think she just tried to push those feelings aside?

Cantu: She did, because at the end of the day — and that’s another thing about playing Jada during this whole Arnold situation — I didn’t want to just throw away her common sense. Jada’s been very sharp since the moment she came on the screen. She’s always been very two steps ahead. She’s an overthinker. She’s very thorough and methodical. So her gut was definitely telling her that something felt off, but she thought it was maybe just pre-wedding jitters. And then Stephanie and Gabi assured her that she was just nervous, and they’re her friends. It’s like she felt something was off, but then she convinced herself that, “Oh, it’s nothing.” She was telling herself she was wrong and she wasn’t. She just wanted to go on with the wedding. She was definitely excited and very happy.

Digest: Unfortunately, Jada’s perfect wedding day imploded when “Rafe” stopped the ceremony and said he couldn’t marry her. How would you describe how Jada felt hearing that?

Cantu: She’s gutted. I mean, she’s absolutely gutted. She’s been married before. We all know how that went down or how that ended, unfortunately, with Bobby. He was not good to her. And then just the way she lost him, how he died… Jada has been through a lot of trauma. She’s not alone. She has her support system with Stephanie and Steve. But going through being stood up at the altar and not having her sister or her mother there, and her father, of course, is in heaven… I think she just has a moment where she feels very alone and almost like, “Who is this man?” So she’s very lost, confused, gutted, and heartbroken. She’s devastated and just horrified. It’s so embarrassing, too. She’s just humiliated. That’s the word. She’s humiliated, and she’s hurt. It feels like a horrible dream to her.

Digest: Does she react with any anger? It would be great to see her haul off and punch him under the circumstances.

Cantu: Oh I know. Wouldn’t that be great? There is some anger in there, but it’s more hurt than anger. At this stage, I would say that the hurt definitely overrides the anger. However, I will tease that after all this is said and done, she is angry. And you may see some action. Let’s just say that. I don’t know if it’s a punch, but you’re going to see some action towards Arnold. She’s going to finally reach her breaking point, and there will be a moment. So just hold tight for that.

I Don’t: Jada has some choice words for “Rafe” (Galen Gering) as Paulina (Jackée Harry, second from l.) and Stephanie (Abigail Klein) look on.