Days of Our Lives Spoilers: Sarah Turns to Xander to Unravel EJ’s Dangerous Frame Job on Holly
An innocent teenager is trapped in a nightmare she doesn’t even understand, while a ruthless mastermind’s cover-up threatens to destroy lives across Salem. Holly Jonas has no idea what is happening to her, but she knows with absolute certainty that she did not take drugs. As calculated villainy collides with fierce family protection, the fallout on Days of Our Lives for Wednesday, July 22, 2026, is set to push several fan-favorites to their breaking points.
At the heart of the drama is EJ DiMera’s ongoing path of destruction, which has left a desperate young girl fighting for her reputation and her freedom.
Holly Sneaks Out to Protest Innocence While Sarah Seeks Xander’s Help
Refusing to let her loved ones accuse her of taking Coriseal—and rejecting the idea of being kept under lock and key at the hospital without cause—Holly Jonas takes matters into her own hands and sneaks out. Someone is bound to locate the runaway teen soon, but her escape changes nothing about her stance: Holly is set to keep denying that she ever touched drugs.
Viewers know the ugly truth behind her ordeal. EJ slipped the pills directly into Holly’s bag to cover up his own contaminated Coriseal disaster. Sarah Horton, however, remains completely in the dark about EJ’s cruel frame job. Distraught and wanting nothing more than to help her niece, Sarah turns to Xander Cook Kiriakis for assistance. Since Xander was the one who physically brought the bag to Holly, Sarah hopes he might hold the key to how those pills ended up inside.
Xander is already dealing with a mountain of his own problems, almost all of which trace back to EJ. Because of their rocky history, Xander is more than willing to suspect EJ of practically anything. This raises a crucial question for the Horton family: will Xander successfully convince Sarah that something is deeply off, pointing out that EJ’s hands are likely all over this messy situation?
EJ’s Panic Grows Over Smith Island and Botched Kidnapping Plans
Meanwhile, the walls are beginning to close in on EJ. Overwhelmed by mounting complications, EJ confides his growing anxieties in Rita Lesley. He is deeply alarmed by the prospect of people connecting the dots and suspecting his direct involvement in the tainted Coriseal mess over on Smith Island.
Adding even more tension to EJ’s plate is his sinister plot regarding Kristen DiMera. Spoilers reveal that EJ has to worry about his scheme to kidnap Kristen, a plan that is destined to go off the rails and result in him kidnapping Lexie Carver instead. With his schemes spiraling out of control, EJ is treading on extraordinarily thin ice.
Gabi and Leo Form an Unlikely Team in the Fake Purse Mystery
Elsewhere in Salem, Gabi Hernandez is fiercely determined to get to the bottom of her fake purse fiasco. Both Philip Kiriakis and Xander deny any wrongdoing in the scheme, but Gabi remains convinced that the pair are somehow involved behind the scenes.
Unfortunately for Gabi, her primary sounding board and ally, Gwen Rizczech, is nowhere to be found. While searching for answers, Gabi crosses paths with Leo Stark, who is also desperately trying to locate Gwen. Leo smells both a scorching news story and a missing best friend, while Gabi realizes she needs an investigative mind to crack the case. Despite the fact that there is certainly no love lost between them, Gabi and Leo decide to join forces for a mutual cause.
What neither Gabi nor Leo realizes is that Gwen has been kidnapped. Fans know that EJ is likely the man holding Gwen hostage in secret, as he simply cannot risk letting her get her hands on his hospital.
With EJ juggling missing hostages, botched kidnappings, and a dangerous drug cover-up, how long can he keep his crimes hidden? Will Sarah finally give Holly the benefit of the doubt and help Xander expose EJ’s game, or will EJ manage to silence his enemies before the truth explodes?
