Who Are All Of John And Marlena's Children On Days Of Our Lives?
The following article includes references to pregnancy loss and infant loss
"Days of Our Lives" viewers know that John Black (Drake Hogestyn) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) are one of the most beloved soap opera couples of all time (via Soaps). The pair have reached iconic status when it comes to daytime super couples, and fans have been watching their love story play out for decades. The duo known to fans are "Jarlena" first met when John was admitted as a patient to Salem hospital. At the time, he had his face bandaged and was suffering from amnesia, per Soap Hub.
Later, many believed John to be Marlena's husband, Roman, who was presumed dead at the time. The couple fell in love, but were stunned when the real Roman returned to Salem. Despite Roman's return, John and Marlena were head over heels for one another and couldn't stay away from each other so they began having an affair. Although they've had many ups and downs over the years — like Marlena being possessed by the devil — they've managed to always find their way back into each other's arms.
Through the years, John and Marlena have also shared their lives and their children in the show, and the pair have created a blended family full of beloved "DOOL" characters.
Marlena's son, Eric, became a priest
Before Marlena ever met John, she was married to Roman Brady, per Soap Central. Marlena and Roman had a great relationship and "Days of Our Lives" fans loved the pairing. Marlena even became a mother to Roman's daughter, Carrie Brady, whom he shared with his ex-wife Anna DiMera. During Roman and Marlena's marriage, the couple faced a lot of adversity. However, one of the happiest moments was when they welcomed their children, twins Sami and Eric Brady.
Eric is a beloved "DOOL" character, who has been on and off the canvas for years. However, Eric left Salem as a child to move to Colorado with his grandparents (via Soaps in Depth). He returned as a young adult played by actor Jensen Ackles of "Supernatural" fame. Shortly after coming home, Eric met and fell in love with Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker). His time in Salem was full of drama in his love life, and due to his twin sister's antics.
Eric and Nicole's relationship could never seem to work, and in 2000, viewers watched him leave town again. The character was absent for over a decade before finally returning home in 2012 with actor Greg Vaughan in the role. Eric was revealed to have become a priest, but eventually reconnected with Nicole. The pair have continued to have a troubled relationship despite their obvious love for one another, per Soaps.
Marlena's daughter, Sami Brady, has always been a handful
Marlena and Roman's daughter, Sami Brady, is known for her wild side. Eric's twin sister seemed to inherit some rebellious genes from somewhere in her family tree, and has been one of the most fun characters to watch on "Days of Our Lives." Like her brother, Sami also left Salem as a child and headed for Colorado, per Soaps. However, she returned as a teenager and immediately began to bring the drama to "DOOL." Upon coming home, Sami found herself in love with her sister Carrie's boyfriend, Austin Reed, and stopped at nothing to steal him away (via Soaps In Depth).
During this time, she befriended Austin's half-brother, Lucas Horton (Bryan Dattilo), and the two become romantically involved. Sami found herself pregnant at a young age and attempted to pass off her son as Austin's child, per Soap Central. Of course, Lucas eventually found out that he fathered Sami's son, Will. Throughout the years, Sami and Lucas' relationship on "Days of Our Lives" has rekindled. However, Sami has had a plethora of other relationships as well, including an engagement to Franco Kelly and marriages to Brandon Walker and Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) as well as Lucas (via Fame 10). In addition, Sami found a great love in EJ DiMera as well, and the pair share two children together.
Sami has been involved in a number of schemes throughout the decades as well, per Soap Hub. That includes trying to break up John and Marlena's relationship, and Sami has always kept her mother Marlena on her toes. Although Sami and Marlena can often butt heads, they've also always shared a strong bond as well.
John's son, Brady Black, lost his mother at a young age
Although Marlena is the love of John's life, he also shared a very strong love story with Isabella Toscano (via Soap Hub). John and Isabella met and fell in love while John believed that he was Roman. During this time, John also believed that Marlena was dead. However, when Marlena returned to Salem, she reconnected with John, leaving Isabella out in the cold. Eventually, it was discovered that John was not Roman when the real Roman came home, per Daily Soap Dish.
Roman and Marlena got back together, and John found himself back in the arms of Isabella, with whom he had a deep connection. After arriving in Salem, Isabella found out that Victor Kiriakis was her biological father, and began building a relationship with him as well.
Isabella eventually became pregnant with John's child and the two tied the knot. Their son, Brady Victor Black, was born shortly after the nuptials. The family was happier than ever, but that happiness was short-lived as Isabella was soon diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Isabella later died in John's arms in one of the saddest "Days of Our Lives" character deaths of all time.
John was then challenged with raising little Brady by himself. However, once Roman and Marlena's marriage fell apart and John and Marlena reunited, she became a mother to Brady. Over the years, Brady has come to love and cherish Marlena and "DOOL" fans can't get enough of their sweet mother-son pairing.
John was revealed to be Paul Narita's biological father
"Days of Our Lives" viewers first met Paul Narita in 2014 (via Soap Central). Paul was a professional baseball player who had a shoulder injury. He came to Salem in hopes that Dr. Daniel Jonas (Shawn Christian) could repair his injury through surgery. While in Salem, it was revealed that he was the ex-boyfriend of Sonny Kiriakis (then Freddie Smith). However, due to his high-profile job, Paul had opted to keep his sexuality hidden from the public. During his time in Salem, Paul had romances with both Sonny and Will Horton (Chandler Massey). However, that wasn't the most shocking thing that the character brought to the table.
It was also revealed that John was Paul's biological father. John was thrilled to get to know his long-lost son better and Paul opted to stay in Salem to build their relationship. The pair grew closer, and Paul eventually partnered up with John when he went to work for Black Patch as a private investigator, per Soaps in Depth. During a tense moment, Paul stepped in front of a bullet to save John.
According to Monsters and Critics, after some big drama, Paul left Salem in 2018 still on good terms with John and the family that he had made there.
John and Marlena share one child together, Belle Black-Brady
Although "Days of Our Lives" viewers know that John and Marlena both have children from other relationships, they do share one child together, Belle Black (Martha Madison). Belle's birth was an intense time for the couple, as it was believed that she was Roman's daughter (via Soap Central). Belle was born at the Horton Cabin, and John delivered the newborn with the help of Kristen DiMera. Marlena then named the little girl after John's late ex-wife, Isabella. However, not everyone was happy about Belle's arrival. Marlena's oldest daughter, Sami Brady, was furious when she found out that John had fathered Belle and took it upon herself to kidnap the baby and sell her on the black market.
After Belle was aged into a teenager, she became a staple on "DOOL" as a member of Salem High's prominent clique, which also included Shawn Brady, Philip Kiriakis, Mimi Lockhart, and Chloe Lane, per Soap Central. During this time, Belle and Shawn fell in love, and although they've encountered many obstacles through the years, they have overcome it all. The couple went on to get married and even welcomed a little girl named Claire. Of course, Claire is a beloved member of the Black and Brady families and has a close connection with both John and Marlena.
Marlena has suffered devastating loss in the past
John and Marlena have created a blended family where all of their children have relationships with one another, and they have become parental figures to their step-children as well. However, Marlena has had a few heartbreaks in her past when it comes to motherhood.
The beloved character welcomed her oldest child with her first husband Don Craig, per Soap Central. The little boy was named Don Jr. or DJ for short. Sadly, the child passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, causing the grieving couple's marriage to crumble. Years later, Marlena suffered another loss when she lost her and Roman's unborn child due to a miscarriage (via Soaps in Depth).
In addition to all of Marlena's pregnancies, she also carried a set of twins that weren't biologically hers (via Soaps). When Rex and Cassie Brady first came to Salem, they were through to be aliens from another planet which led to an alien storyline on "Days of Our Lives." However, it was later discovered that they were the genetically engineered children of Roman Brady and Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow). "Days of Our Lives" villain, Stefano DiMera, had created the children and used Marlena as a surrogate during one of the many times he kidnapped her over the years.
Through the decades, John and Marlena have proven to be not only one of Salem's best couples, but also fierce parents who love and value their family above all else. It definitely shows in the lives of their children.