As Days of Our Lives Airs Its 14,000th Episode, Headwriter Ron Carlivati Revisits the ‘Did Stefan Rape Abigail?’ Debate: ‘I Stand By My Words’
Thursday, December 17th, 2020
Jill Johnson/JPI
December 17 was a day of celebration… and heated discussion.
Just like on Days of Our Lives, things can change pretty quickly, they can shift on a dime in the Twitterverse, too. So one minute headwriter Ron Carlivati was congratulating Salem’s lot on reaching their 14,000th episode — 2,000 more shows than The Young and the Restless recently celebrated, for those keeping score — and the next he was being drawn back into the debate over whether Stefan (played back then by Tyler Christopher) had raped Abigail by having sex with her Gabi-inspired alternate personality, “Gabby.”
“I have always said that Stefan’s relationship with ‘Gabby’ was wrong,” he tweeted. “He took advantage of the situation.
“Some people and some characters on the show consider what he did to be rape. I personally do not,” he continued. “I think calling it rape does a disservice to actual rape victims.”
More: Days’ greatest characters, ranked [PHOTOS]
Carlivati, previously the top scribe at One Life to Live and General Hospital, went on to say that it wasn’t just fans with whom he’d discussed the topic. “I’ve had this debate many times with many people. I have a [female] friend in the business who calls what Stefan did ‘rape adjacent,’” he noted. “However you choose to describe it, it was always portrayed as wrong, and Stefan suffered and was punished for it, as he should have been.”
2/I've had this debate many times with many people. I have a (female) friend in the business who calls what Stefan did "rape adjacent." However you choose to describe it, it was always portrayed as wrong, and Stefan suffered and was punished for it, as he should have been. #days
— Ron Carlivati (@carlivatiron) December 17, 2020
However, was Stefan’s sexual relationship with Abigail when she wasn’t in her right mind to consent rape? Not in the mind of the storyline’s architect. “I stand by my words,” Carlivati concluded.
What do you think, Days of Our Lives viewers? Was it rape… rape adjacent… ? And do you feel the same way about the relationship that decades ago One Life to Live’s Harry O’Neill had with Viki Buchanan’s alternate personality, Niki Smith? Or is that a whole different ball of wax because he wasn’t aware that he was dealing with someone suffering from a very serious mental illness?
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And what about The Young and the Restless’ Patty Williams seducing ex-husband Jack Abbott in 2009 with a new face and a new identity (that of Mary Jane Benson)? Would that constitute rape since he never consented to get physical with Patty, only this woman who, unbeknownst to him, didn’t actually exist?
Sound off in the comments below, then stop by our below photo gallery that revisits highlights from Days of Our Lives’ 55 years and 14,000 episodes.
Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
1/100
<p>… and for decades, these were the two that it took: the late Frances Reid and MacDonald Carey as Alice and Tom Horton.</p>
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2/100
<p>Never mind how it ended <em>and</em> ended <em>and</em> ended again between these two; this is the way we like to remember Hope Williams (Kristian Alfonso) and Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) — as happy as they were on the day of their first wedding.</p>
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3/100
<p>… or was it just the early days in the romance of Carrie Brady (Christie Clark) and Austin Reed (Patrick Muldoon)? Nothing, it seemed, could come between them. Nothing <em>except</em>…</p>
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4/100
<p>New Austin — Austin Peck — same old chemistry. Whew.</p>
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5/100
<p>In 1966, Diane Hunter (Coleen Gray) did her best to assure daughter Susan (Denise Alexander) that bows were <em>sure</em> to come back in fashion. One day. Maybe.</p>
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6/100
<p>All Lucas Roberts (Bryan R. Dattilo) is missing in this late-1990s portrait is the other members of his dreamy boy band.</p>
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7/100
<p>Nothing could stand in the way of Joshua Fallon (Scott Palmer) marrying Jessica Fallon (Jean Bruce Scott). Well, unless you count her relationship with the Salem Strangler and her alternate personality.</p>
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8/100
<p>In 1992, Robert Kelker-Kelly wasn’t just a new beau for Dr. Carly Manning (Crystal Chappell), he was a new Bo Brady for us all.</p>
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9/100
<p>Eh, it was really more of a crowd for a jealous Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson), girlfriend Abigail Deveraux (then Kate Mansi) and her true love, Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn), in 2015.</p>
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10/100
<p>Looking back, gamblin’ man Neil Curtis (Joe Gallison) and sad songstress Liz Chandler (Gloria Loring) probably would’ve been better off as strangers.</p>
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11/100
<p>If only the late, great Joseph Mascolo’s Stefano DiMera could rise yet again…</p>
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12/100
<p>In the mid-1970s, David Banning (Richard Guthrie) and Valerie Grant (then Tina Andrews) — aka Eli Grant’s parents — became <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ first interracial couple.</p>
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13/100
<p>In 2004, Mickey Horton (the late John Ingle) was torn between naughty Bonnie Lockhart (Judi Evans) and nice wife Maggie (Suzanne Rogers).</p>
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14/100
<p>Billie Reed (Lisa Rinna) and Bo (Kelker-Kelly here) were as fond of one another as <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/real-life-soap-scandals-photos/" target="_blank">their portrayers infamously weren’t</a>.</p>
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15/100
<p>Sister Mary Moira was but <em>one</em> of the secondary characters that former headwriter James E. Reilly created for <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ original Kristen DiMera, Eileen Davidson.</p>
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16/100
<p>Nothin’ to see here. Just Hope and Bo (Reckell again) sharing a warm moment while chilling in 1996.</p>
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17/100
<p>In 2003, somebody just needed to tell Belle Black (Kirsten Storms; now Maxie, <em>General Hospital</em>), Cassie Brady (Alexis Thorpe), Rex Brady (Eric Winter) and Mimi Lockhart (Farah Faith) that the camera was over here. Over <em>here</em>, kids.</p>
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18/100
<p>There’s really no other way to describe the tortured relationship between Carly and Lawrence Alamain (Michael Sabatino, who married his leading lady in 1997).</p>
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19/100
<p>Well, at least Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) was happy anytime she and Austin (Peck here) were together. He, on the other hand, was generally ambivalent. At <em>best</em>. Maybe it shows?</p>
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20/100
<p>Despite his checkered past and despite how brightly her halo glowed, Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford) and Jennifer Horton (Melissa Reeves) discovered that they were perfect for one another.</p>
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21/100
<p>They say that when couples have been together for a while, they start to look alike. Or is it <em>dress</em> alike? Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes) and husband Doug (real-life spouse Bill Hayes) might be able to shed some light on this subject.</p>
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22/100
<p>For some reason, EJ DiMera (James Scott) and sometime missus Sami looked as if we were interrupting them during this 2006 bedroom shoot. We’ll just let ourselves out…</p>
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23/100
<p>John Black (Drake Hogestyn) turns his bedroom eyes up to “seduce.”</p>
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24/100
<p>In 1986, sometime stripper Pete Jannings (Michael Leon) married Melissa Horton (Lisa Trusel) in a double-wedding ceremony with her adoptive parents, Mickey (then the late John Clarke) and Maggie.</p>
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25/100
<p>Shawn Brady (then Jason Cook) and Belle (then Storms) were just whippersnappers when they fell in love.</p>
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26/100
<p>Hey, how come when Shawn and Belle grew up — and began being played by Brandon Beemer and Martha Madison — they remained just as pretty as they always were? That hardly seems fair.</p>
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27/100
<p>Lucas would stop at nothing to prove to people that there was nothing up his sleeve. Including eschewing sleeves altogether.</p>
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28/100
<p>Sure, they were troublemakers to the core, but Vivian Alamain (Louise Sorel) and Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston) certainly showed us a devil of a good time.</p>
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29/100
<p>In an early publicity shot, Reid strikes such a pensive pose, you’d swear she was auditioning for <em>Dark Shadows</em>.</p>
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30/100
<p>In 2015, Chad, Stefano and Tony — or was that André (Thaao Penghlis, either way)? — managed to fit three generatuons of DiMeras into one frame.</p>
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31/100
<p>We get why the Bradys — Shawn (the late Frank Parker) and Caroline (the late Peggy McCay) — would be together in this 1996 promotional photo. But sweet Maggie and the dastardly Stefano? Mystifying.</p>
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32/100
<p>Tom tried to reach Susan, but her troubles were usually so great, even his wise words couldn’t help. She was probably daydreaming about her old bows. “They’re coming back in style,” she told herself.</p>
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33/100
<p>Abe Carver (James Reynolds) made the last days of lost love Lexie (Renée Jones) ones that she — and “oui” — would always remember.</p>
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34/100
<p>Unless you know Mark Valley, who spelled usual portrayer Ashford in the role from 1994-97. Then OK, you <em>might</em> know Jack. (Don’t get us started on Steve Wilder, though.)</p>
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35/100
<p>Doug gave only the subtlest of signs to gold digger Lee DuMonde (the late Brenda Benet) that was he was <em>slightly</em> more into Julie. Do ya think she noticed?</p>
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36/100
<p>There would be no pulling focus from Lucas in 1999. Not at <em>this</em> photo shoot, anyhow.</p>
Image: Gary Null/NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
37/100
<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> vet Alfonso may have left the building, but we’ll always have our memories of her iconic character. And also amazing images like this one. What <em>was</em> up there? Cobweb? Good lighting? We can’t help but wonder.</p>
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38/100
<p>Given the history between Sami, Austin (Peck here, as if you didn’t know), Lucas and Carrie, this <em>had</em> to be one of the more fraught double dates in history.</p>
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39/100
<p>When John married Isabella Toscano (Staci Greason) in 1992, he thought that it was for keeps. If only, pal. If only.</p>
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40/100
<p>If this wasn’t Jack and Jennifer’s engagement photo, it should’ve been. For real, yo.</p>
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41/100
<p>As this 2013 scene shot suggests, mercurial Kristen (original flavor Davidson) had a tendency to go off half-cocked.</p>
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42/100
<p>So frosty a presence is Vivian that she gives herself the chills even in a sweater. Now <em>that’s</em> cold.</p>
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43/100
<p>Austin (Peck again) and half-sibling rival Lucas never failed to make a splash when they tried dipping into the same dating pool a, um, <em>toe</em>.</p>
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<p>After solving the Salem Stalker case, Roman Brady (then Wayne Northrop) made a missus of Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) in 1983.</p>
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45/100
<p>In the early 1990s, Kelker-Kelly’s do-gooder had it bad for both Hope and Billie. Can ya blame him?</p>
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46/100
<p>By 2018, Ben had totally sold <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ audience on his feelings for Ciara Brady (Victoria Konefal).</p>
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47/100
<p>Unbeknownst to them, back in 2001, Philip Kiriakis (Jay Kenneth Johnson), Chloe Lane (Nadia Bjorlin), Shawn Brady (Cook) and Belle (Storms) were <em>actually</em> looking at seaweed; they’d been in the sun for a long time.</p>
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<p>In 1995, Marlena ran afoul of a demon that was even more troublesome than Kristen. Maybe you heard a little something about it?</p>
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49/100
<p>Foolishly, the first doctor who treated Marlena for possession had just prescribed Visine.</p>
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50/100
<p>In the grip of an otherworldly fiend, Marlena seemed seriously opposed to letting John — or <em>anyone</em> — borrow her office supplies.</p>
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51/100
<p>We’d love to say that we didn’t know what possessed her. But c’mon, we knew. We <em>all</em> knew.</p>
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52/100
<p>In the end, Kristen (still Davidson) didn’t have a prayer of holding onto John.</p>
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53/100
<p>“Her!” cried Kristen. “There are too many pictures of her and her damn possession in this photo album!” Fine. We’ll move on.</p>
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54/100
<p>The wedding of Lani Price (Sal Stowers) and Eli Grant (Lamon Archey) was the NBC soap’s first for two African-American characters. May it not be the show’s last.</p>
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55/100
<p>Nope. This is just about normal for Doug and Julie. They dance cheek to cheek even when standing still.</p>
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56/100
<p>Dr. Mike Horton (Roark Critchlow) did the near-impossible: He made us forget that we always thought that Austin was endgame for Carrie.</p>
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57/100
<p>But then Austin (pec again… er <em>Peck</em>) would show up looking like this, and all bets would be off.</p>
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58/100
<p>Ultimately, Austin (you know which one) just kept taking clothes off until Carrie said, “Fine, you can have your favorite pillow back.”</p>
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59/100
<p>When Doug and Julie tied the knot for the first time… well, in looking back, they really should’ve <em>double</em>-tied it. Salem ain’t an easy town in which to maintain a marriage.</p>
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60/100
<p>As evil twins are wont to do, Samantha Evans (Andrea Hall-Gengler) — aka the sibling rival with which sister Marlena was saddled — stole the shrink’s life out from under her. Briefly.</p>
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