“39 years of unforgettable memories” — Stephen Nichols honors Mary Beth Evans and their epic Steve & Kayla legacy on Days of our Lives

On May 24, 2025, Days of our Lives star Stephen Nichols celebrated a significant milestone in soap history by posting a heartfelt tribute to Mary Beth Evans on Instagram. The post honored Evans’ 39th anniversary as Kayla Brady, the character who has been at the center of Nichols’ on-screen life since 1986.

“Today marks 39 years since @marybeth.evans first walked into Salem—and into my life,” Nichols wrote in the caption alongside a montage video. "From the very beginning, she’s been my partner, and I couldn’t ask for a better friend, collaborator or co-conspirator in all things Steve & Kayla.”

The tribute was a public thank-you for nearly four decades of portraying one-half of Days' most iconic supercouple. Nichols emphasized that Evans was his constant in a career filled with twists.

“Through every twist and turn, Mary Beth has brought heart, strength and soul to our story—and to our friendship. I can’t imagine doing this without her!” he added.

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Everything you need to know about the legacy of Steve and Kayla in Days of Our Lives

Days of Our Lives (Image via Peacock, NBC)

It all started in 1986 when Steve “Patch” Johnson rolled into Days of our Lives as a former Merchant Marine with a criminal edge, a deep scar from his past, and a vendetta against Bo Brady. Kayla Brady, Bo’s younger sister, was a sweet but strong-willed nurse, and her life changed the night Steve rescued her from a street gang.

That moment kicked off one of daytime’s most iconic love stories. He left his number on her car, and despite her initial resistance and her family’s warnings—especially from Bo—Steve kept showing up. He believed they were meant to be, and eventually, so did she.

Things got complicated fast in Days of Our Lives when Steve’s past came roaring back when his long-lost sister, Adrienne, turned up and revealed dark family trauma. Their father, Duke, had been violent, and when Adrienne shot him in self-defense after he r*ped her, Steve tried to take the fall.

That storyline set the tone for Steve’s deep protectiveness and guilt—traits that would define him for decades. At the same time, Jack Deveraux entered the picture. Jack fell in love with Kayla and didn’t know he was Steve’s brother, Billy. Kayla took care of Jack while he battled Hodgkin’s Disease. Believing Jack was dying, Steve stepped aside.

Kayla married Jack out of obligation, not love. What followed was a painful stretch during which Steve and Kayla carried on a secret affair. Jack discovered it in the worst way—through a photo of them kissing—and his rage boiled over. He r*ped Kayla. Steve nearly killed Jack but later donated a kidney to save his brother’s life.

The trauma left Kayla unable to speak, and in one of the show’s most emotional moments, she said “I do” to Steve using her voice for the first time in months. That wedding put Days at #1 in the ratings. Years later, Marina—Steve’s supposedly dead wife—returned and pulled him into a murder mystery that led to Kayla’s wrongful conviction.

She gave birth to their daughter Stephanie while in prison. Steve raised her alone until they tracked down a kidnapper in Australia. After Isabella revealed she had accidentally killed Marina, Kayla was cleared and returned to Salem. In 1990, they got married again with Jack as best man.

Days of Our Lives (Image via Peacock, NBC)

Then tragedy struck. Steve was poisoned in the hospital and died in Kayla’s arms. But he wasn’t really dead. Sixteen years later, he showed up alive, suffering from amnesia and calling himself Nick Stockton. Kayla patiently fought to bring him back.

He pretended to remember just to help her recover from a coma, but eventually, the real memories returned. They’ve been through kidnappings, brainwashing, and nearly every kind of heartbreak. Yet, they always come back to each other—and that’s why, 39 years later, Stephen Nichols still calls her “Sweetness.”

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Watch Days of Our Lives on NBC.