If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Camila Banus, who announced her departure from ‘Days of Our Lives’ earlier this month, recently shared that the show helped her heal emotionally after her father died from suicide when she was 19 years old. “I handled it the best way I could as a 19-year-old, which was… not to tell anybody,” she wrote in an essay for Today. “A couple of days later I returned to set and life moved on. I buried my grief, I buried my anger. I buried my sadness. I put on a smile for a long time,” Banus recalled.
“When my character became a mom, I took a parenting class to prepare for the role, where I reflected on how the parenting done to me has molded me into the adult I became,” she wrote in Today. “Meeting other families impacted by suicide through my work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has helped me move forward as well,” Banus added. The actress also credited therapy and support from her husband Marlon Aquino for her eventual healing.
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Camila Banus announces exit from ‘Days of Our Lives’ after 13 years in Peacock's iconic soap opera
‘I want them to know that I care’
In her essay, Banus shared that losing her father made her a “more empathetic person” and changed the way that she “interacts with people.” “I want them to know that I care. I want them to know they are wanted, important, needed,” she wrote. Banus also revealed that her father’s tragic death was partly a reason behind her decision to quit ‘Days of Our Lives.’
“I had always spoken to my dad about my dreams,” Banus shared. “He knew my ultimate goal is to create amazing stories and cultivate characters — to be on the big screen. That was part of why I walked away,” she revealed. “He didn't stay to see his dreams realized — the depression took over. I need to reach mine for him, and me, and our family,” the actress stated.
Banus also opened up about the support she received from her husband, mother and sister, who she refers to as her “tripod,” on her decision. “They understood,” Banus, who played the role of Gabi Hernandez in the show, wrote in her essay. “They'd seen me come home from work crying because I couldn’t shake off something bad that had happened to Gabi,” she shared. “They'd seen me memorizing 60 pages a day and feeling like my head was going to explode. Their support is monumental and it's what makes me feel safe enough to take this risk,” the actress explained.
‘I want to leave a legacy for my family’
Banus further shared that her wish to become a mother also contributed in her decision to leave the show. “My husband and I are trying to start a family, hopefully,” she told The Wrap. “And that's another big factor in possibly just slowing down for a little bit and seeing kind of where this time takes me,” the actress continued. “But I'm also open to other opportunities and ready for big things. I'm just ready for something different,” she said.
Despite her latest decision, Banus continues to refer to ‘Days of Our Lives’ as her “dream job” and hopes for a positive future ahead. “I want to leave a legacy for my family, honoring the sacrifices that my Cuban immigrant parents made for me so that I could pursue those dreams,” she mentioned in her essay.
