Why did Camila Banus leave Days of Our Lives? Exit reasons explored

Camila Banus gained prominence in Days of our Lives by playing Gabi Hernandez from October 2010 to April 2023 before making one last appearance in November and hanging up her hat. Her departure raised some questions she answered in a May 2023 column she wrote for NBC's Today.

Trigger Warning: The following article discusses mental health issues and su*cide. Reader discretion is advised.

In explaining her reasoning, Camila explored sensitive subjects such as mental health and su*cide.

Camila recounted how Days of Our Lives had taken over her entire life and the constant demands her role made of her. She'd further been traumatized by her father's su*cide when she was 19, which made her think more deeply about her life and the legacy she wanted to leave behind.

Camila eventually consulted with her mother, sister, and husband about leaving the show, and they all agreed it was time for her to move on. As she put it:

"When I told my mom, sister and husband — who I call my “tripod” — I was thinking of leaving the show, they understood. They’d seen me come home from work crying because I couldn’t shake off something bad that had happened to Gabi."

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Camila Banus departed Days of Our Lives in 2023

Camila Banus portrayed Gabi Hernandez in Days of Our Lives until her departure in October 2023. Since then, Gabi has been recast, and Cherie Jimenez has taken up the role.

Camila opened up about her decision to move on from Days of Our Lives in a detailed column for Today that detailed her struggles with mental health and the major family tragedy she had to face.

Camila Banus was born to Carmen and Jaime Banus in 1990 and joined Days of Our Lives as the second actress to play Gabi Hernandez in 2010. She continued in that role for the next thirteen years, and according to her Today column, the soap opera permeated every aspect of her life.

She maintained that she was grateful for the experience, as her role allowed her to act out scenarios that she wouldn't have been able to otherwise, such as being abducted eight times, doing her own stunts, and causing a gas explosion.

However, she eventually decided to move on after consulting with her husband, sister, and mother. This decision was spurred on by the traumatic experience of learning about her father's su*cide when she was just 19 years old.

While she initially tried to move on from the tragedy and not talk about it, she said her attitude transformed in recent years, and she grew more empathetic towards other people's mental health struggles. In her words:

"My instinct was silence. Things got better, for me, when I started talking about my dad’s death. In fact, I talk about it all the time now! Some people get weird with me because I don’t have to be very close to someone to tell them about my father’s death, but not making it taboo is therapeutic for me."

Her father's death also inspired her to think deeper about what she truly wanted to accomplish. Thinking about this question is what eventually spurred her to move on from Days of Our Lives, as she wants to explore new avenues and leave a stronger legacy for her family.

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Gabi Hernandez has been played by 3 actors

With Camila's departure, Gabi Hernandez was recast with Cherie Jimenez in the role when the character returned to the series in 2024. Gabi was originally played by Gabriela Rodriguez in 2009 before Camila Banus took over the role in 2010 and continued in it until 2023.

During Gabriela Rodriguez's run, Gabi was characterized by her innocence and loving nature. This changed when Camila Banus took over the role and showed greater moral complexity with her portrayal, including moments where she appeared obsessive.

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While Camila Banus has left Days of Our Lives, Gabi Hernandez has been played by Cherie Jimenez since June 27, 2024. The show can be streamed on NBC's Peacock.