Who was Arianna Hernandez on Days of Our Lives? Everything you need to know

Arianna Hernandez was a character on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed briefly by Felisha Terrell, and later by Lindsay Hartley from 2009 to 2010. Introduced as the sister of Rafe Hernandez, Arianna's storylines involved love, betrayal, and redemption.

Arianna's journey was marked by her struggles in relationships with men battling addiction and her efforts to rebuild her life. Her untimely death in 2010 left an impact on the show's narrative and its characters. In an interview with Soaps.com on April 13, 2016, Lindsay said the following about her departure from Days of Our Lives:

"Let me tell you, I constantly get the 'Days' update. 'Why aren’t you there? I miss Lindsay Hartley. Bring her back.' It was definitely not my decision. I’m super supportive of the genre. I love it, and I don’t know what to say except thank you and I wish I was there."

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Arianna Hernandez's major arcs on Days of Our Lives

Arianna Hernandez came to Salem to reunite with her estranged brother, Rafe Hernandez. She was first introduced on Days of Our Lives when Caroline Brady brought her in as a waitress.

There was tension when she encountered Rafe's girlfriend, Sami Brady. Arianna disapproved of him leaving the FBI for her. She then bonded with recovering addict Brady Black and eventually entered into a relationship with him after pushing him away for some time.

Arianna was also working undercover for the Salem Police Department. She was using the pub she worked at as a front to investigate a drug ring. Her cover was nearly blown when Troy, a dealer, targeted her in multiple failed murder attempts.

Though saved by EJ DiMera, Arianna was pulled from the investigation. She and Brady got engaged, but their wedding in the Dominican Republic was thwarted by a storm and interference from his ex, Nicole Walker.

Nicole framed Arianna for muggings, leading to her arrest and the breakdown of her relationship with Brady. Later exonerated, Arianna overheard Sami confessing to shooting EJ and recorded the admission.

She attempted to reveal the truth but was confronted by Sami and chased by her son Will. Arianna fled, but she was hit by a car and died in the hospital. Arianna’s legacy lived on when her younger sister Gabi named her daughter after her, ensuring her memory remained a part of Salem’s ongoing story.

In an interview with Soap Opera Digest dated December 9, 2010, Lindsay commented on her on-screen death on Days of Our Lives.

"I was completely shocked, devastated — what do you do in that case? Everything sucked in that moment. I was so bummed, because I loved working with Eric [Martsolf, Brady] and Galen [Gering, Rafe]. These are my best friends! I spent two Thanksgivings in a row with Eric," she said.

She continued:

"To be part of a show where I’m still with people I’d been with for 10 years…[Hartley also worked with Martsolf and Gering on Passions]. And then, I met a bunch of new people there: [DAYS co-executive producer] Gary Tomlin, who I love, and Nadia [Bjorlin, Chloe] — she’s become one of my greatest girlfriends."

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About Lindsay Hartley

Lindsay Hartley is an American actress, born on April 17, 1978, in Palm Springs, California. She gained prominence for her roles in several soap operas, notably starring as Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald on Passions, Cara Castillo on All My Children, and Arianna Hernandez on Days of Our Lives.

Hartley began her career in musical theater, performing in productions like Grease and West Side Story. In the 2016 interview with Soaps.com, Lindsay said the following about her possible return to daytime television:

"Anything for a type of woman in her mid- to late-30s, where that mind frame is. And I don’t mind ever causing harm to another character on the show or having harm done to me. I’m easy breezy with story. I’m like, 'Let’s play.' The more crazy the storylines, the more fun it is."

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