I was 15 years old when I found out Will was gay on Days of Our Lives—and I’ve never forgotten Sami’s reaction

Will and Gabi's daughter Arianna is set to visit Salem in the upcoming Days of Our Lives episodes. With John located and facing a grim end, Will Horton may also come home. It may be time to revisit May 15, 2012, when Will came out to his parents. A teenager myself at the time, Will's confusion, pain, and dilemma presented by the story arc continue to haunt me 13 years later.

As longtime Days of Our Lives fans may remember, Will is Sami Brady's son. Initially presumed to be Austin Reed's son, Will Reed was later discovered to be Lucas Roberts' son. Later, when Lucas took on the Horton family name, Will started calling himself Will Horton.

Born through caesarean section, Will was played by many child artists since his introduction in 1995. The teenager Will was played by Dylan Patton, followed by Chandler Massey. Guy Wilson replaced Massey for a year before the latter took over again in 2017.

Incidentally, Massey won the Daytime Emmy Award thrice in a row in the Outstanding Younger Actor category and is the first to win for playing a gay character.

Meanwhile, Days of Our Lives continues to stand out as the long-running American daily soap opera that offers unexpected storylines and introduces burning social issues.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's personal opinions.

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Revisiting Will's coming out scene on Days of Our Lives

A quick journey back takes viewers to the episode which aired on May 15, 2012, when Chandler Massey's Will Horton initiated telling his parents about him being gay. The story arc leading up to it emphasized Will's confusion and pain as he first struggled to accept the truth and then shared it with his loved ones.

Unlike Sonny Kiriakis, who told his accommodating parents about his s*xual orientation without much drama, Will and his fans were expecting emotional turmoil from the character's mother, Sami. As such, he approached his grandmother, Marlena, who accepted him with a hug.

Will's coming out arc on Days of Our Lives took a few days and started with Sami cornering Lucas for hiding EJ's blackmail from her. In return, Lucas pointed out that instead of being worried about her son getting blackmailed, Sami was more concerned about being lied to.

Will entered the room and called out his mother's posturings and deceptions. When Alison Sweeney's Sami demanded that she know everything going on in her son's life, Will informed her that she was not ready. Later, Sami coaxed him with arguments that some lies were kept to protect loved ones, while others never worked.

Tired of carrying his truth alone and realizing the need to get over with the backlash sooner than later, Will bluntly told his parents that he was gay. Sami's reaction was one of disbelief, stating that she, as his mother, would have known.

In response, Will said that, unlike other gay people's mothers, he did not expect Sami to notice and realize the truth about her son. He pointed out how Lucas was always away, but Sami, despite being close, was busy with her own issues, barely giving a glance at the problems going on in her son's life.

While a rattled Lucas apologized to his son, Sami sat looking shocked, hurt and angry at the same time. Then, mumbling some excuse, Sami left the area, leaving Will to feel abandoned and unloved. However, although awkward, Lucas tried to talk and understand Will's situation.

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How did Will's coming out arc end on Days of Our Lives?

Later, when they came around to accept facts, both his parents gave their blessings to Will and Sonny's wedding. The Days of Our Lives storyline saw the two build a stable family with Arianna Horton, as Ari's mother, Gabi completed her prison sentence. However, viewers like me can never forget the palpable pain Will faced while coming to terms with his identity and his disclosure to his parents.

With Ari slated to visit Gabi, Will may make an appearance too in the upcoming episodes. Incidentally, Sami was also in town a few weeks ago. When John's end journey plays out, both mother and son may come together as the family grieves the patriarch's death.

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Look out for Arianna on Days of Our Lives, and find out if Will Horton visits Salem sometime later.