Days of our Lives cast member Elia Cantu is exiting the show as police commissioner Jada Hunter. The actress, who joined the show four years ago in 2022, announced the news herself.
Jada Hunter leaves Days of our Lives
As I say goodbye to Days of our Lives, I’m excited and looking forward to the next chapter. Leaving DAYS is bittersweet, but I step away full of gratitude and joy for what’s ahead.
“Jada Louise Hunter,” Cantu continued. “It’s been an honor. She is bold, layered, and I’ll forever cherish bringing her to life. She remains a staple in Salem, and I’ll carry everything she taught me as I go. Jada, you will always be my girl.
“To the cast & crew – Thank you for your hard work and long hours,” the actress added. “What a journey it has been.
“To the DAYS fans – Thank you,” Cantu concludes. “You are incredibly supportive, caring, and dedicated. I’m so grateful for each and every one of you. There’s more to come, and I hope you’ll come along with me for what’s next. Love, Elia Cantu.”
Timing is everything
There’s no word yet on whether or not Cantu is exiting Salem on-screen in the near future — or if we’ll continue to see her for several more months as the show tapes so far in advance.
DAYS has announced any recasting of the role, but, interestingly, Cantu says Jada “remains a staple in Salem.” Is that a reference to something symbolic? Or will the role be recast? Or will Cantu continue to appear on-screen for the foreseeable future?
When DAYS introduced the character of Jada, the show’s writers opted to make the character the daughter of Dr. Marcus Hunter (played by the late Richard Biggs), who appeared on DAYS from 1987 to 1992.
As a law official, who later became police commissioner, Cantu’s Jada interacted with nearly everyone in Salem as she went about solving cases and tracking down bad guys.
On the romance front, Jada was paired with Rafe (Galen Gering); alas, their union did not survive his romp with ex-wife, Sami (Allison Sweeney). Cantu was also paired on-screen romantically with Brandon Beemer’s Shawn.
Cantu may be leaving DAYS, but she continues to have support as she moves forward. “Elia, you will be missed at DAYS!” posted the social media account @eliacantufans. “I hope Jada makes her way back to Salem someday! In the meantime, I will continue to support & promote you however I can! 💜🤗.”
Catch all-new episodes of Days of our Lives weekdays on Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform.
Edited by Michael Maloney