Days of our Lives star Susan Seaforth Hayes broke her silence after the death of her husband, Bill Hayes, last week.
Susan and Bill are legends on Days, playing the beloved couple Julie and Doug Williams since the 1970s.
Their on-screen romance quickly turned into an off-screen romance that lasted over 50 years — a love story for the ages.
The tributes pouring in for Bill had people showing their love for Susan during this difficult time.
On Thursday night, Susan took to Instagram to share her first message since Bill passed, acknowledging those tributes and her late husband.
“To all of you who honored my Billy with a word of remembrance, a sense of personal loss, or even a tear- I thank you. You touched my heart by seeing in him the goodness and joy I experienced every moment of our wonderful marriage. May we all embrace life with the gusto of Bill Hayes- and enrich it with grace and love ♥️ xx Susan,” read the caption on the IG post.
Susan Seaforth Hayes and Bill Hayes’ Days of our Lives love story
Bill and Susan first met when he joined the Days of our Lives in 1970 as Doug. Susan was already a fixture on the show, playing Julie since 1968.
It didn’t take long for the powers that be to realize that the chemistry between Susan and Bill was off the charts. Sparks flew with their first on-screen kiss, not just for their characters.
They began dating not long after and married in 1974. Two years later, they were featured on the cover of Time magazine. To date, they are the only real or fictional soap couple to appear on the cover of Time.
Doug and Julie have often been touted as the first big soap supercouple, an honor also bestowed on Bill and Susan. The couple loved working on Days and enjoyed keeping the Horton family legacy alive. That was evident from the recent Christmas episode featuring the hanging of the Horton family Christmas ornaments.
They did everything together, including releasing a joint memoir, Like Sands Through The Hourglass, in 2005. Susan and Bill also received Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Daytime Emmy Awards together in 2018.
Those who knew them best are not only mourning the death of a beloved man but also their hearts are breaking for Susan as she deals with the loss of her best friend and husband of five decades.
Days of our Lives stars react to Susan Seaforth Hayes’ Instagram post
The comments section of Susan’s message was flooded with so much love for her and Bill.
Mary Beth Evans (Kayla) talked about Bill being an inspiration, while Brandon Barash (Stefan) revealed he had felt Bill’s presence on set all week and sent his condolences to Susan.
Martha Madison (ex-Belle), Nadia Bjorlin (ex-Chloe), and Emily’s Obrien (Theresa/Gwen) also replied to Susan with love and condolences.
Meanwhile, Kristian Alfonso (Hope) shared heart emojis and commented on the throwback pictures of Bill and Susan. The Young and the Restless stars’ Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren) and Lauralee Bell (Christine) shared heart emojis and love for Susan.
Victoria Konefal (ex-Ciara), Sal Stowers (Lani), Tamara Braun (Ava), and Robert Scott Wilson (Alex) responded with heart emojis.
There is no shortage of love for Susan Seaforth Hayes as she mourns the loss of her late husband, Bill Hayes.
Days will not be the same without him but his legacy will live on through his wife, fans, and the show.
To see all the tributes pouring in for Bill and more love for Susan, click here.
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on Peacock.