Days Of Our Lives Relationship Timeline: Nancy And Craig
On "Days of Our Lives," the roles of Craig Wesley and his wife, Nancy, were originated by talented actors who have had decades-long success in television and film.
Craig is played by Kevin Spirtas, who also appeared briefly on the soap "The Young and the Restless" in 1997 and had a stint on "One Life To Live" in 2008 as a character named Jonas Chamberlain. He appeared on "DOOL" from 1997 to 2003 and returned briefly in 2005, 2009, and 2022.
Patrika Darbo was cast as Nancy Wesley on "DOOL" in 1998, where she remained until 2005. She reprised the role in 2013, 2016 to 2017, and 2022. Darbo has also played the role of Shirley Spectra on "The Bold and the Beautiful" in 2017 and 2018 and on sister soap "Y&R" in 2021.
Craig was introduced to "DOOL" viewers as a doctor — and an old medical school rival of Mike Horton — who came to Salem to lobby for the position of chief of staff at University Hospital (via Soaps in Depth). Nancy came to town with Craig and was determined to help advance his career.
When Mike was given the coveted promotion instead, Nancy and Craig schemed to have him removed by convincing his ex-girlfriend to file a sexual harassment suit against him, and he was forced to resign. Craig was then hired to fill the role, and he and Nancy solidified their presence in Salem for several years.
Though the couple was seemingly happy and loved each other very much, their relationship was not without its challenges. As of 2022, Nancy and Craig are recently divorced after 30 years of marriage — the equivalent of several lifetimes in the soap world. Let's take a look at their journey together.
Nancy and Craig welcomed their long-lost daughter, Chloe
Shortly after their arrival in Salem, Nancy Wesley brought a teenage girl named Chloe Lane (Nadia Bjorlin) to come live with her and her husband, Craig Wesley (via Soap Central). Chloe had grown up in an orphanage, and Nancy claimed she was the daughter of an old friend who needed a family of her own.
In reality, she was Nancy's long-lost daughter whom she'd given birth to as a teenager. Chloe was forced to pretend she was someone else, and Craig wasn't thrilled about having a stranger thrust into his life, which put a strain on the relationship between the two.
Eventually, Nancy admitted the truth about Chloe to her husband, and Craig was upset to learn that Nancy had apparently cheated on him back in the day since they had been together since high school. However, he had come to care for Chloe and, over time, grew to love her as his own.
Nancy decided to keep Chloe's paternity a secret, despite being pressed for information by both Craig and Chloe (via Soaps in Depth). However, after a few years, she finally revealed that she had been raped by one of her father's business associates when she was 16, resulting in her pregnancy.
They had another baby to save Chloe's life
Unfortunately, while Nancy Wesley's daughter, Chloe Lane, was still in high school, she was diagnosed with leukemia and became very sick (via Soaps.com). The family began searching for Chloe's biological father in hopes that he would be a match to donate bone marrow and save the girl's life.
However, their research led them to discover that Nancy's husband, Craig Wesley, was indeed Chloe's father after all. Though pleased to find out that her daughter wasn't the result of a rape, Nancy was distraught at realizing how many years they had missed out on as a family due to her mistake about the paternity (via Soap Central).
Nancy and Craig made the decision to try for a baby so that they could experience having a child together — and, hopefully, the child would be a bone marrow match for Chloe. Nancy gave birth to her second daughter, Joy, and she was successfully able to save her sister's life as a donor.
After regaining her health, Chloe left town to pursue her dream of a singing career. Then, Craig received a job offer in New York, and, in 2005, he, Nancy, and Joy relocated there and weren't seen again on "Days of Our Lives" for several years.
Nancy and Craig were a strong support system for Chloe
Over the years, Craig and Nancy Wesley returned to Salem several times to support their daughter Chloe Lane, who periodically called the place home. In 2005, they came to support her after she suffered an accident and required extensive facial reconstructive surgery (via Soap Central).
Nancy and Craig helped Chloe through her procedure and recovery and were thrilled when she became engaged to Brady Black. Chloe revealed her new face at the wedding and Craig sang for them during the ceremony.
In 2009, Chloe suffered another health scare after she was poisoned by Kate Roberts and left in a coma. Craig sat vigil at her bedside, and, luckily, she was able to recover.
Nancy came back to Salem again in 2013 to help Chloe win back her ex, Daniel Jones (Shawn Christian), who was the father of her young son, Parker, though the women's scheme ultimately failed (via Soaps in Depth).
In 2016, Nancy returned again when her daughter was fighting for custody of a baby named Holly whom Chloe had given birth to as a surrogate. Chloe eventually agreed that the baby should be with its rightful mother, and Nancy returned home to Craig and Joy.
Their 30-year marriage came to an end
In February 2022, Nancy Wesley came to see her daughter Chloe Lane because she feared that her husband, Craig Wesley, was cheating on her (via Soaps in Depth).
Chloe confronted her father, who reluctantly revealed his true sexuality: He was gay and in love with another man. She pushed him to be honest with Nancy, and he eventually acquiesced. Nancy was devastated to learn that what she'd believed was a happy marriage had been a lie.
Nancy and Craig got divorced, and, soon after, he became engaged to Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart), according to Showbiz CheatSheet. Though Nancy was extremely upset, she and Craig eventually made amends.
She and Chloe tried to steer him away from Leo, who had a reputation for manipulating people and running cons, but Craig wouldn't listen. Unfortunately, the two women were correct, and, during their wedding ceremony, Craig learned that Leo was actually married to someone else and was just trying to get his hands on some of the Wesley money (via Michael Fairman TV).
Recently, Craig decided to leave Salem, and the actor who played him, Kevin Spirtas, exited "Days of Our Lives" once again.
As for Nancy, she decided to stay in Salem and try to build a new life without her longtime partner. She's jumped into the dating scene and has started a romance with notorious criminal Clyde Weston (James Read), who has recently been released from prison (via Soap Dirt).