Why Don And Marlena's Marriage Really Ended On Days Of Our Lives
Longtime "Days of Our Lives" viewers remember the days before Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) was in love and married to Roman Brady (Wayne Northrop, Josh Taylor) and John Black (Drake Hogestyn). Shortly after Marlena came to Salem, she met a character named Don Craig (Jed Allan). Don first appeared in Salem in 1971, per Deadline.
Don was known for being a rich and powerful lawyer, who first grabbed the attention of Julie Olson (via Soap Central). Don and Julie's relationship simply wasn't meant to be, and Julie went on to have her own epic love story with Doug Williams. Meanwhile, Don also moved on to Marlena. Don and Marlena fell quickly for each other and began dating. Their relationship went through many ups and downs, and Don was even there to save Marlena when she was kidnapped by her own twin sister, Samantha Evans (Andrea Hall).
However, Don and Marlena's story doesn't have a happy ending.
The death of their son tore Don and Marlena apart
After Don Craig and Marlena Evans walked down the aisle in 1979, "Days of Our Lives" fans were happy to find out that the on-screen couple was expecting their first child together (via Soaps). The pair happily prepared for the birth of their baby and later welcomed a son named Don Jr., or DJ for short. The baby was born prematurely and suffered some health issues. Sadly, in a shocking moment on the NBC soap opera, it was revealed that the baby boy had died from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Don and Marlena's marriage was never the same after the death of little DJ. The couple were completely heartbroken and dealt with their grief in very different ways. Don felt distant from Marlena after losing their son and later turned to singer Liz Chandler for support, per Soap Central. The pair eventually started having feelings for one another and began to have an affair. When Marlena found out that Don had cheated on her, she filed for divorce.
Don and Marlena remained friends following their divorce
"Days of Our Lives" fans watched Don Craig and Marlena Evans' marriage crumble following the death of their son, and although Don did cheat on his wife, it seemed that the grief of losing their baby boy was too much for them to handle. The marriage never recovered from little DJ's death, and the couple went their separate ways. After their divorce, Don and Marlena remained good friends, per Soap Hub.
Marlena later met Roman Brady (then Wayne Northrop) and the two went on to get married and welcome twins Sami and Eric Brady. She later married John Black and gave birth to a daughter named Belle. Meanwhile, Don went on to date Maggie Horton (Suzanne Rogers). However, that relationship didn't make it to the finish line.
Sadly, the character of Don was later written off of the sudser in a very strange way, per Soaps. Don went on to mail a letter one day in the 1980s and was never seen or heard from again. Viewers never got to see what became of Don Craig, and it remains one of the biggest unresolved plot lines on "Days of Our Lives." Although Don and Marlena's marriage didn't work out, fans certainly enjoyed watching their journey during their short time together.