What Happened To Ava on Days of Our Lives

Ava on Days of Our Lives has had quite the history in Salem, so it’s understandable if some viewers might need a bit of a refresher! The character was first introduced in February 2008 when Tamara Braun joined the soap. She exited in August of that year, and after a run as a different character, Taylor Walker, in 2011, returned for another stint as Ava in December 2015. But by March 2016, the mob princess was dead… not that death is particularly permanent on DAYS, as she came back in November 2020. In December 2022, Ava once again exited the canvas, though this time she was still alive, so it was less of a shock when she resurfaced again in August 2023! Unfortunately for fans, the actress announced that she was leaving once more in April 2025.

Ava was introduced as a mysterious woman from Steve Johnson’s past who stalked his family while they were traveling in Ireland. She sabotaged their plane so they couldn’t leave, but that led to the plane crashing and the death of Shawn Brady. Ava followed Steve back to Salem where she kidnapped Hope Brady, believing she was his wife, Kayla Brady!

Steve managed to calm Ava and after everyone was safely rescued, it was revealed that the pills Ava had been taking were the cause of her dangerous behavior. After Ava was released on bail, her cousin, Angelo, confided that her father, Martino Vitali, had her drugged. After her father was killed by Bo Brady, Ava put her past behind her and started a relationship with John Black. However, when she was faced with criminal charges regarding the plane crash, Ava skipped bail and left the country!

Ava returned to Salem in 2015 and manipulated Joey Johnson into helping her reunite his parents as part of her revenge plan. As time went on, Joey developed feelings for Ava, but she rejected him, claiming she had leukemia and was dying. Kayla was horrified to find Joey and Ava together and warned him to stay away, but he refused.

When Joey finally confessed his feelings to his father, Steve filled him in on the horrible truth about Ava. Joey was shocked to hear her litany of crimes, as well as the fact that she may have given birth to Steve’s child. Ava knocked Kayla out and kidnapped her, threatening to kill her if Steve didn’t go to bed with her. Steve agreed in order to save Kayla, but Joey was appalled at his father’s decision. Learning that Ava had planned to frame his mother for attempted murder, a drunken Joey sneaked into Ava’s hospital room and smothered her in her sleep!

A year later, Steve learned that his son with Ava had not died as they’d been led to believe, and he brought Tripp Dalton back to Salem to be with his family. Steve also took the blame for Ava’s murder, claiming it was on ISA orders, but Tripp believed he was covering for someone. Unfortunately, he believed he was covering for Kayla, and set out to take revenge by killing her! Eventually, the truth was revealed, but now it turns out that Ava wasn’t as dead as everyone thought she was!

Ava tried to keep her resurrection under wraps, but that didn’t last long and she was arrested. Luckily, she struck a deal with Kayla to not press charges against Joey if she didn’t press charges against her. Ava then went into full mama bear mode protecting Tripp. Upset to learn that he’d been accused of raping Allie Horton, Ava then accused Charlie Dale of the crime, noting the DNA evidence — DNA he and Tripp share since they are brothers!

Ava pressed Charlie into confessing to the crime and wanted him to go to the cops to clear Tripp’s name, so he accused his mom of playing favorites. And fearing what she might do, Charlie knocked Ava out and abducted her! Rafe Hernandez rescued her and later invited her to move in with him for her own protection. When Charlie was murdered, Ava was one of the prime suspects, but while she was glad her son was dead, she was actually innocent of killing him.

Ava and Rafe eventually gave in to their feelings going on a date and later having sex. However, after helping Kristen DiMera escape police custody, Ava later lied to her new beau about it. She was also jealous of the continued connection between Rafe and Nicole, though he insisted he only had eyes for Ava. The former mob princess helped Philip blackmail Gabi Hernandez, then later found herself the target as Kristen blackmailed her into helping her escape prison. After Ava framed Rafe, he dumped her for Nicole. She also got mixed up with Gwen Rizczech, and after scheming together, the pair threatened to expose each other. When Ava found herself arrested, she offered up the dirt on Gwen in exchange for immunity.

Ava moved in with Jake DiMera, and while things started out platonically, they didn’t stay that way for long! Tragically, just after Jake popped the question, he was killed by a mugger over the ring. Gabi convinced Ava to pretend that she and Jake were already married at the time of his death so she could retain control of his DiMera stock. She then moved into the family mansion where she bonded with Johnny DiMera, who defended her against EJ DiMera. Ava thought she was losing her mind when she thought she saw Jake, but it turned out to be Stefan DiMera back from the dead. Thrown out of the mansion, Ava invited Johnny to move in with her. They kissed, but put on the brakes before things went any further. No sooner did the pair manage to get back into the DiMera estate than EJ found out the truth about Ava’s marriage to Jake and threw her out again, demanding she leave Salem or he’d call the police!

Experiencing hallucinations of Charlie egging her on, Ava enlisted Xander Kiriakis to help her kidnap EJ’s mother, Susan Banks. Unfortunately, that plan went sideways which led to Ava driving off a cliff with Susan in the car! Having leaped out of the vehicle before it crashed, Ava continued taunting EJ and planted a bomb at the church to detonate during Susan’s funeral. But after being seen by Tripp, Ava was delayed and still there when the bomb went off. She survived, but still seeing Charlie, was clearly disturbed and shipped off to Bayview for treatment.

In August 2023, Ava was startled to see Harris Michaels in the facility, and started calling him Charlie and refusing to let him get her. Although haunted by Susan’s death, under hypnosis with Marlena, Ava remembered that she was really alive! When EJ sent an assassin after Ava, Harris thwarted their effort to kill her. Ava and Harris escaped from Bayview and a vision of Susan led them to London, where they encountered her ex-husband, Edmund Crumb, who tried to imprison them with Susan! Thankfully, they were all rescued, and Susan declined to press charges against Ava. Harris kissed Av,a and they confessed their feelings for each other. Unfortunately, Clyde Weston forced Ava to run the Bistro as a front to run drugs through Salem, threatening to hurt Tripp if she didn’t! When Stefan was also forced into the arrangement, they lied about having a relationship so she could keep Harris out of it. (Although they did end up getting drunk and having sex together!)

Ava decided to work with Harris to take down Clyde, but then he was shot and nearly died. When Tripp was abducted with Wendy, Ava went to Steve for help. Clyde ordered them to break him out of jail or he’d kill Tripp, but while Steve and John had a plan to stop Clyde, Ava double-crossed them and let him escape! Thankfully, they managed to find Tripp and Wendy and save their lives. Ava helped Harris recuperate, and they rekindled their relationship. When Clyde ordered her to get his little black book for him, Ava kept Harris in the loop so he could help turn the tables on the villain.

After saying goodbye to Tripp as he flew to China with Wendy, Ava turned Clyde’s little black book in to the cops. She told Steve they needed to take care of Clyde permanently, and he agreed not to get in her way. She, Harris, and Lucas tracked Clyde to Montana but Harris stopped Ava from murdering the villain. She shared a heartfelt goodbye when Harris left Salem to follow up on a lead on Megan.

Roman had hired Ava to work at the pub, but she soon quit when Kristen offered her a job working at DiMera. She found herself commiserating with Brady about failed relationships and then being forced to work with Gabi. Naturally, Gabi soon learned that Ava had slept with Stefan, and she vowed revenge on them both, which meant Ava was out of a job. Kristen also wasn’t thrilled about Ava’s growing closeness to Brady, but when Ava got threatening text messages, it turned out it was Rachel behind them! 

As 2025 began, Ava wanted to break things off with Brady so as not to further upset his daughter, but he didn’t want to give her that much control. When Rachel ran away, the little girl called Ava to tell her where she was, but when she fell into the trap, Ava was held prisoner by her grandmother, Rachel Blake! When Kristen found out, she agreed to keep her mother’s secret, and when EJ stumbled upon the kidnapping, he was also forced to keep quiet! Once Brady and Steve rescued Ava, she told them how everyone had conspired together.

Ava reluctantly agreed not to press charges for fear of CPS taking Rachel away from Brady. But when Rachel Blake got out of jail, she tried to kill Ava! Melinda gave Ava her gun for protection, but Brady assured Ava that Rachel Blake had been taken care of. Unfortunately, Ava decided there were still too many obstacles and called it quits with him. She then said her goodbyes and left Salem… shortly after EJ was shot and nearly killed!