The Real Story Behind Nicole's Family Ties On Days Of Our Lives

"Days of Our Lives" viewers have seen so much family drama in Salem over the years. The soap opera has given fans shocking plot twists, epic romances, and so much more with all of Salem's most prominent families like The Hortons, Bradys, Kiriakis, DiMeras, and Hernandez, via TV Overmind. However, some families may not be as prominent in the fictional midwestern town, but they sure have given fans plenty of entertainment over the years.

One family that has brought the drama has been the Walker family. Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker) first came to Salem in 1998. Fans watched as she worked as a waitress and aspired to become a model, per Soaps in Depth. Nicole met Eric Brady (then Jensen Ackles) and the two fell deeply in love. However, the couple couldn't make things work and they eventually went their separate ways and Nicole moved on to men such as Lucas Horton (Bryan Dattilo), EJ DiMera (James Scott, Dan Feuerriegel), Brady Black (Eric Martsolf), Daniel Jonas (Shawn Christian), Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering), and more, via Soap Central.

While Nicole's relationships have been filled with suspense, her family ties have also turned into very interesting storylines over the years.

As "Days of Our Lives" viewers got to know Nicole Walker, they learned that she had a terrible childhood and was the victim of abuse. Nicole's parents are Fay Walker and Paul Mendez. According to Soap Central, Fay did everything she could to support her family and be a good mother. However, Paul was a terribly abusive man who treated his family poorly and even forced Nicole into the adult film business. Fay's weak mindset led her to support her husband financially and look the other way when it came to his abuse.

Paul eventually found himself in jail and years later he was released on probation. He began to stalk Fay, per TV Megasite, and even overheard some of Salem's teenagers, Shawn-Douglas Brady and his group of friends talking about a ruby. Paul even followed the group on a school trip to Puerto Rico, where he tried to steal the ruby. During the trip, Paul met Jan Spears and tricked her into believing he could make her a model. Eventually, Jan began to grow suspicious of Paul and he later attacked and raped her. Jan became pregnant from the assault but later lost the baby.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

During Fay Walker and Paul Mendez's abusive marriage, Fay found herself leaning on Abe Carver (James Reynolds). The two had an affair and Fay became pregnant with her son, Brandon Walker. Paul believed that Brandon was his child, per Soap Central. As an adult, Brandon blamed his mother's affair with Abe for Paul's hostility towards the family. Eventually, Brandon found out that Abe was his biological father and the two began to bond. Brandon left Salem with his relationship with Abe and Nicole on good terms.

In addition to Nicole Walker's brother, Brandon, the character also has a sister named Taylor Walker. When Taylor came to Salem, she struck up a friendship with Eric Brady, and her presence made Nicole uneasy as she reminded Nicole of her abusive childhood. Eventually, Taylor left town to pursue a college education. However, she later returned and fell hard for Nicole's husband, EJ DiMera. Taylor ended up stealing EJ from Nicole and the two got engaged, via Soaps.com. However, the engagement didn't last long as Taylor found out about EJ's criminal actions. She dumped EJ and later reconnected with her former boyfriend Quinn Hudson before leaving Salem yet again.

Nicole may have one of the most interesting families to ever be seen in Salem. However, her family drama has significantly settled over the years.