SHOCKING NEWS! Leo disappears from Salem, EJ and Rita take action Days of our lives spoilers
Salem has never been a city for the faint of heart — and now, the tension has reached a fever pitch. The latest Days of Our Lives spoilers reveal a shocking twist that’s left fans reeling: Leo Stark has vanished without a trace, and all signs point to EJ DiMera and his loyal enforcer, Rita Leslie, as the masterminds behind his disappearance. But is Leo truly gone for good… or has one of Salem’s craftiest schemers pulled off his most dangerous game yet?
As always, your team here at TV Day’s Drama Digest is breaking it all down — every betrayal, every whisper in the shadows, and every ripple this explosive storyline sends through Salem’s tangled web of power, passion, and revenge.
A Dangerous Curiosity
Leo Stark (played with delicious charm by Greg Rikaart) has built a reputation on his razor-sharp wit, unapologetic flair, and uncanny ability to survive what should have been certain doom. From blackmailing the Kiriakis family to worming his way back into Salem society through a mix of charisma and chaos, Leo has always landed on his feet — until now.
In recent weeks, Leo’s curious nature has drawn him into a mystery surrounding the DiMera family and a shadowy new project spearheaded by EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel). Rumors of corruption, secret experiments, and a clinic construction site tied to the DiMera empire have set Leo’s investigative instincts ablaze.
But Salem’s golden rule is simple: when you dig into a DiMera secret, you risk digging your own grave.
The Encounter That Changed Everything
Viewers will remember the scene vividly — the half-built clinic, the hum of generators, the eerie silence. Leo, slipping through the site under the cover of night, is driven by that intoxicating mix of fear and curiosity. A recently patched wall catches his attention. A locked computer nearby teases forbidden information. He’s seconds away from a major discovery when fate — or rather, Rita Leslie — intervenes.
Rita (portrayed with icy precision by Maggie Carney) catches Leo red-handed. Wearing her trademark yellow hard hat, she radiates authority and quiet menace.
“What are you doing here?” Rita demands, her tone cold as steel.
Leo scrambles for a lie. He claims he’s lost an earpiece while rescuing Gwen (his frequent partner-in-crime and sometimes conscience), a desperate nod to his past good deeds. But Rita isn’t fooled. Her smirk says it all — she knows exactly what Leo’s up to.
The tension crackles. For a brief moment, it seems Leo might talk his way out of it. Instead, Rita gives him a look that chills the air: the kind of look that says you’ve just made a very big mistake.
Leo bolts. He escapes into the night — but not before Rita makes one fateful call.
EJ’s Ruthless Response
Cut to the DiMera mansion — a place where luxury and menace coexist under the same roof. EJ DiMera sits behind his grand mahogany desk, the picture of control. His empire stretches far and wide, but nothing riles him more than disobedience or exposure.
When Rita arrives with her report, EJ’s fury simmers just below the surface. Leo’s snooping isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a threat.
“He’s a liability,” EJ growls. “And liabilities must be handled.”
Rita doesn’t need further instructions. The unspoken order is clear: make Leo disappear.
Fans have seen EJ resort to ruthless measures before — from framing rivals to orchestrating kidnappings. But this feels different. This feels personal. Leo’s relentless nosing has not only jeopardized EJ’s plans but humiliated him. And for a man like EJ, humiliation demands blood.
The Vanishing Act
The next morning in Salem, Leo is gone. His phone goes straight to voicemail. His apartment is untouched, clothes still hanging, coffee cup half-full on the counter. Gwen panics. She insists Leo would never just vanish — not without drama, not without flair.
But the clues tell a darker story. A dropped scarf found near the docks. Security footage mysteriously erased. A witness claiming they saw a black van late at night, speeding toward the outskirts of town.
The whispers spread quickly: Has EJ ordered Leo’s death? Or has Leo outsmarted them all and staged his own disappearance?
Even in absence, Leo’s energy lingers — chaotic, flamboyant, defiant. But for once, his enemies may have played a stronger hand.
Gwen’s Desperation and Salem’s Divide
Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) is heartbroken and furious. Her complicated friendship with Leo — built on shared pain and mischief — pushes her to seek answers. She storms into DiMera Enterprises demanding the truth, but EJ meets her with cool dismissal.
“Leo was a nuisance,” EJ says smoothly. “If he’s gone, perhaps it’s for the best.”
His words sting — not only for Gwen but for everyone who’s ever underestimated Leo Stark’s resilience. Behind the scenes, whispers emerge that Gwen might team up with Ava Vitali, a woman who knows all too well how the DiMeras handle their enemies.
Meanwhile, Johnny DiMera questions his father’s judgment, and Paulina Price hints at launching a formal investigation if foul play is suspected. Salem begins to split — those who fear EJ’s wrath, and those determined to bring justice for Leo.
Theories, Twists, and the Road Ahead
As the mystery deepens, speculation runs wild. Some fans believe Leo is alive — perhaps held captive in one of EJ’s secret properties, plotting his revenge. Others think Rita may have gone rogue, acting on her own twisted sense of loyalty.
And then there’s the most shocking theory of all: that Leo anticipated the danger and vanished by design, setting up a con so elaborate that even EJ DiMera won’t see the next move coming.
Whatever the truth, Leo’s disappearance has become the spark for a new Salem war, one that could pit the DiMeras against the town’s misfits, journalists, and survivors.
The Legacy of Leo Stark
Greg Rikaart’s portrayal of Leo has turned the character into one of Days of Our Lives’ most iconic modern figures — a dazzling mix of humor, heart, and havoc. His absence leaves a void in Salem’s chaos. But in true soap fashion, where death is never permanent and justice always has a flair for the dramatic, fans can’t help but wonder:
Is this truly the end of Leo Stark — or the beginning of his most dangerous reinvention yet?
No matter how this plays out, one thing’s certain — Days of Our Lives is once again reminding viewers why Salem remains the beating heart of daytime drama: full of danger, deception, and the delicious uncertainty of who will rise… and who will fall next.
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