Just last week, I talked about the power of spoilers and how they shape our relationship with our favorite soaps. Since then, I’ve seen a growing debate online about where to draw the line when covering actors’ personal lives — and it’s not an easy line to define.

On one hand, these are public figures, and you could argue that everything is fair game. On the other, if something doesn’t directly impact what we see on screen, is it really necessary to cover it? It’s a question I wrestled with often during my 33 years at Soap Opera Digest. But in today’s media landscape, where clicks are everything, it’s difficult to ignore the reporting once it’s already “out there”.

The daytime community is small. I can say without reservation that I’ve never met a fellow journalist, reporter or blogger who enjoyed writing about the divorces, arrests, firings, or other personal struggles. But this is also a business, and sometimes those stories can’t be avoided.

The upside is that audiences still have a choice. If something doesn’t sit right, you can always decide not to engage, and simply keep scrolling.

What’s your take? Are actors’ personal lives fair game, or should some things stay private?

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Jacob Martinez will make his Days of our Lives debut as Javi Hernandez on Tuesday, June 30. Jacob replaces Al Calderon, who left the show to join the NBC series, Brilliant Minds, which was canceled last week.

Michael James Scott returns to General Hospital on Monday, May 4 to perform at The Savoy.

Food Network host Sunny Anderson appears on Beyond the Gates on Friday, May 8 in scenes with Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) and Carlton (Robert Christopher Riley).

Wally Kurth will return to Days of our Lives as Justin on Thursday, May 7.

Jennifer Gareis will be back as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Donna on Friday, May 8.

Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky, GH) wrote a new book, The Eternal Poet and Cosmic Drama, that will be released on September 26 and is available now for preorder on Amazon and other sites. He considers it a sequel to his 2014 book, The Mystery of Art: Becoming an Artist in the Image of God. “Many years in the making, he wrote on Instagram. “It’s primarily for filmmakers, poets, writers and performers, but more broadly for anyone interested how the arts relate to faith and meaning.”

Rosabel Kurth — the daughter of Rena Sofer (Lois, GH) and Wally Kurth (Ned, GH; Justin, Days) — recently took to social media to share details about a deeply personal creative project. In an Instagram post, she revealed that after watching a compilation of Ned and Lois’s romantic journey, she felt inspired to incorporate their story into her art. “For 27 years my mom and my dad had minimal contact at best, tense contact at worst… until 2023 when Rena was recast to return as Lois on General Hospital to help Eddie (Ned) with identity recall after a bout of amnesia,” she explained.

Seeing them reconnect onscreen had a powerful impact. “Two years ago, at 27 years old, I turned on General Hospital to watch Lois and Eddie rehash the past, but what I really watched was Rena and Wally having a conversation, making eye contact and even smiling at each other in the same room at the same time.”

Kurth explained that the project is still evolving. “This phase of the project, which I’m calling the Honeymoon Period, is the first part of what I imagine to be a years-long investigation of love and fantasy through the lens of my parents’ scripted romance. I’m still gathering the courage and figuring out what this body of work will look like, how it will affect my relationships, and how I will share it with you all in the end and in the meantime.”

Rena responded enthusiastically in the comments, wrting, “Awwwww my love!!! I love this journey for you both as an artist and a daughter!! You are so lucky to have all of this on tape to watch and experience for yourself!! And equally as lucky to have your mother and father here to guide you through any questions that may come up!! I am immensely proud of you!”

Newsletter-exclusive highlights from my recent interviews

Although he has had prior experience stepping into recast roles in soaps, Roger Howarth took a straightforward approach to playing The Young and the Restless’s Matt Clark, a character previously portrayed by Rick Hearst (Ric, GH) and Eddie Cibrian.

Rather than look back at earlier interpretations, Roger kept his focus on what was on the page. “I trust the writing and I think that the writers have a clear vision of who the guy is," he explained to me during a recent interview. "So I really just tried to stick to what I could figure out from what they were writing rather than from the other two actors who've played the part. I’m a fan of both of them. I have a huge respect for them. I know Rick a little bit and he's a lovely guy. But on some level, you have to just do your thing with what the writers have given you. That’s probably the best way to go about it.”

Being embraced by his new cast — especially Eric Braeden (Victor) and Joshua Morrow (Nick) — helped ease his transition into Genoa City. “Well, just as human beings, they couldn't have been nicer,” Roger shared. “They were super welcoming and really kind, and I was a little intimidated. I think they're both such strong actors, and I was nervous the first couple of days of working, and they couldn't have been more gentle with me.”

Another highlight was reuniting with Tamara Braun (Sienna), whom he previously worked with on GH. “I'm a big fan,” he raved. “I think she's really lovely. I think she's a really sweet person, so I was pleased that I got to work with her again. I think what she's doing with Sienna is really, really cool and interesting. We had to figure out what the dynamic was between [our characters], and we had to do it quickly and she was really helpful.”

There were even more familiar connections waiting for him on set. “It was nice to see Michelle Stafford [Phyllis],” Roger added. “Over the years, I had met Amelia [Heinle, Victoria], I had met Jason Thompson [Billy] and Hayley Erin [Claire]. I don’t just know them, I really enjoy them and it was really nice for me to feel so welcome.”

Michael James Scott, who recently wrapped his run as the Genie in Broadway’s Aladdin, returns to General Hospital on May 4 to sing at The Savoy. For the actor — who also appears as Nurse Francois Dubois on Scrubs — getting a firsthand look at how a soap opera operates was an eye-opening experience.

“They make it look so effortless, but there's so much that they are shooting in one day,” he told me. “It’s really mind-blowing. They’re doing scenes where it could be four or five different sets in a day, and P.S. — shooting a lot of pages, which for television, that’s a lot of work to do. It really takes a lot of teamwork, a lot of really awesome people to pull that off, so watching that firsthand was really quite incredible. I just kind of watched in amazement, because there was so much going on and it really takes a lot to make it happen. We did so much in one day and I kept thinking, ‘This happens every day on set for them.’”

It’s a stark contrast to his work in prime-time. “With Scrubs, there's definitely a lot more takes,” he explained. “There are fantasy sequences that happen, in J.D.'s mind, which is so cool, and J.D. is played by the incredible Zach Braff. In comparison, it took us about five or six days to shoot one episode of Scrubs, and with General Hospital, sometimes they shoot two or three episodes in one day.”

Beyond the Gates

Good for Shanice for calling out Ted for giving Leslie a shoulder to cry on after Anita gave her a well-deserved dressing down. Leslie has made trouble at every turn — why should he be extending her any grace? … Tomas gossiping with Kat about Dani and Bill was a fun, light touch, and I loved seeing the core four Hamiltons together at Orphey Gene’s…. I want to be invested Madison’s lawsuit, but it’s tough when her mother — the catalyst for the entire situation — isn’t on the canvas.

The Bold and the Beautiful

I am fully here for Hope jumping ship from Forrester to Spencer. It would be a great move, and if Deke joined her as a designer, even better.…. And again, for the people in the back: Eric willingly and happily designed for Logan! Watching the Forresters stand around and trash Bill and Katie for actually using his work and turning it into a success was pretty wild … and yet, I couldn’t have been more entertained. #teamkatie

Days of our Lives

Rachel Boyd delivered a phenomenal performance capturing Sophia’s unraveling, and the scenes she had with She Ne Nielson (Amy) were especially moving. I was genuinely shocked when Kristen struck Sophia in the head with a rock — that felt like a real line crossed, even for Kirsten. It’s hard to imagine how she can come back from that. Do I actually believe Sophia is dead? No. But it was still an uncomfortably grisly moment…. I appreciate that the show brought back Jeremy, and Michael Roark did solid work in the role, but in the end, what was the point of his return? … And at this stage, it’s becoming a real toss-up as to which character is more tortured — Chanel or Stephanie.

General Hospital

I loved the scenes between Josslyn and Dante when he dropped the bomb that he knows she’s a secret WSB agent. I’m still trying to figure out whether she’s actually a good spy, though. Everyone she questioned about Cullum’s shooting, and “Nathan” for that matter, seemed to clock what she was doing immediately. But wow, Joss telling Jack that Carly was cheating on him? That was a next-level betrayal…. I am really enjoying the dynamic between Carly and Valentin. Laura Wright and James Patrick Stuart have chemistry to spare. I also like that Valentin is checking in on Anna.... Seeing Liz (and her portrayer, Rebecca Herbst) featured so prominently again has been a real highlight.

Young and Restless

Nick’s admission to Victor that he took fentanyl willingly and has been struggling with a bigger pill problem made for another strong set of scenes from Joshua Morrow (Nick). And I absolutely had a tear in my eye when Victor hugged his son…. I also loved the scenes between Sally and Audra, where Sally referenced her past romance with Wyatt (on B&B) and how it didn’t bring out her best self. It was a great callback for those of us who watch both shows…. The abandoned gas station explosion was a striking visual…. I understand Victor and Victoria wanting their company back, but providing Christine — who has just become D.A. — with falsified emails to bring down Phyllis felt pretty underhanded.

MONDAY, MAY 4

Beyond the Gates: Bill and Vernon lock horns over Martin; Ashley brings Naomi up to speed on Grayson’s stabbing; Kat decides to question Lia about Lynette; and Nicole and Leslie have an unpleasant reunion.

The Bold and the Beautiful: The identity of Dylan’s mysterious caller is revealed, and Liam has a solution for Katie’s designer problem.

Days of our Lives: Chanel comforts Johnny; Jada reveals Sophia’s fate; Leo reaches out to Javi; and Cat updates Rafe.

General Hospital: Josslyn is in danger; Lucas is threatened; Brook Lynn is moved; and Trina and Kai get amorous.

The Young and the Restless: Victor makes no apology to Diane; Nikki confronts Lily about her deal with Victor; Billy bargains with Victoria; and Jack sets boundaries with Patty.

TUESDAY, MAY 5

Beyond the Gates: The show will be preempted for UEFA Soccer coverage.

The Bold and the Beautiful: Dylan is put in a difficult position; R.J. vows to always protect Electra; and Hope reaches a breaking point with Steffy.

Days of our Lives: Jada gives Amy troubling news; Tate, Ari and Holly process their complicated feelings about Sophia; Stephanie opens up to Julie; and Alex asks Joy to stay in Salem.

General Hospital: Ethan delivers intel to Sonny; Ric is tested; Elizabeth makes a request of Laura; Chase and Brook Lynn discuss their future; and Curtis confides in Jordan.

The Young and the Restless: Victor and Nikki reject an opportunity to reconcile; Christine backs Phyllis into a corner; and Sharon interrogates Sienna about her past.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

Beyond the Gates: The show will be preempted for UEFA Soccer coverage.

The Bold and the Beautiful: Brooke extends an olive branch to Katie, and Daphne has an intriguing offer for Dylan.

Days of our Lives:  Marlena counsels Johnny; Roman asks Kate to keep her distance; EJ warns Kristen; and Cat and Chad try to keep things casual.

General Hospital: Britt is floored; Dante seeks out Liz; Ethan covers his tracks; Laura tries to protect a loved one; and Sonny faces a dilemma.

The Young and the Restless: Michael and Phyllis do damage control; Lily’s attempts to help Malcolm are thwarted; and Claire makes a bold move to support Holden.

THURSDAY, MAY 7

Beyond the Gates: Kat challenges Bill; Joey assigns Randy an urgent task; Vanessa has a business proposition for Hayley; Lia’s threats chill Grayson; and Jacob worries a dangerous trap has been set.

The Bold and the Beautiful: Hope encourages Brooke to fight for what she deserves at Forrester Creations, and Carter warns Ridge and Steffy about the consequences of their actions.

Days of our Lives: Gabi and Ari clash; Alex and Justin bond over fatherhood; Roman presses Kate for the truth; and Stephanie vents to Jada.

General Hospital: Carly gets alarming news; Valentin makes contact with Nina; Willow is confident in her plan; Trina and Gio make a pact; and Molly is suspicious.

The Young and the Restless: Phyllis is troubled by Nick’s behavior; Matt Clark resurfaces in Genoa City; and Cane makes a promise to Lily.

FRIDAY, MAY 8

Beyond the Gates: Nicole and Carlton run into Sunny Anderson; Dani and Andre’s imaginations run wild; Grayson makes a life-changing deal; Smitty learns critical intel; Ted and Shanice clash over Leslie; and Martin catches up with his cousin.

The Bold and the Beautiful: Steffy becomes more frustrated with Hope and her line, and Donna is worried that Katie is destroying the family.

Days of our Lives: Gabi makes a bold claim; Kristen and Marlena have a run-in; EJ prepares for the reading of Stefano’s will; and Leo offers to cover for Cat.

General Hospital: Sonny takes extreme measures; Carly makes an announcement; “Nathan” puts pressure on Lulu; and Felicia supports Lucas.

The Young and the Restless: Nick reveals a secret to Victoria; Chelsea questions Adam about Riza; and Lauren gives Phyllis a warning.

Check out these recent articles I’ve written for tvinsider.com and swooon.com