Abigail Deveraux is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Abigail was created by scriptwriter Sheri Anderson and executive producer Ken Corday. Abigail's storylines often focus on young love and budding romances. She is a member of the high class, core family, the Hortons. She is also the daughter of popular super couple Jack Deveraux and Jennifer Horton. Abigail was often titularized as the show's younger leading heroine when the character was portrayed by Ashley Benson, and is known for her popular fan pairing with Max Brady, which spanned from 2005 to 2007, when her character left for the United Kingdom to be with her parents. The character returned to the series in March 2011, then portrayed by Kate Mansi, but departed in June 2016. Marci Miller stepped into the role from November 2016 to November 2018. Following Miller's exit, Mansi returned to the role from November 2018 to February 2019. Mansi then appeared as Abigail that August in the spin-off, Chad and Abby in Paris, and then on the main show from November 2019 to May 2020. In September 2020, Miller returned to the role, until Abigail was killed off in July 2022.
Both Mansi and Miller's performances have been met with favorable reception from audiences and critics. Mansi won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Abigail in 2017, and received a nomination in the Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series category in 2019. Miller's portrayal later earned her three Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
Casting
The role was originated by Meghan and Michael Nelson on October 19, 1992, who shared the role until December 8, 1994. Paige and Ryanne Kettner took over on December 20, 1994, until June 5, 1998, however they returned on October 13, 2000, and last appeared on January 2, 2001. Megan Corletto portrayed the role of Abigail from January 31, 2001, and remained until May 27, 2003. She was replaced by Jillian Clare from August 28, 2003, to June 24, 2004.
On October 31, 2004, it was announced that the character would be recast and rapidly aged to a teenager with fifteen-year-old actress Ashley Benson signed on to appear as Abby, she first appeared on November 12, 2004. Benson remained with the show for three years until her departure from the soap on May 2, 2007.Janet Di Lauro, "Days Actress to Exit in '2007', Soap Opera Digest, March 23, 2007. Actress Emily Montague briefly played Abby for three episodes from April 2 to 4, 2007.
In December 2010, it was reported that the character of Abby would be brought back to the canvas with newcomer Kate Mansi assuming the role. Mansi first aired on March 2, 2011.
In January 2016, it was revealed that Mansi would exit the show; she last appeared on June 24, 2016. In June 2016, Soap Opera Digest broke the news that newcomer Marci Miller had been cast as Abigail. In the November 14, 2016, issue of Soap Opera Digest, it was confirmed that Miller would make her first appearance as Abigail on November 10, 2016.
In May 2018, Daytime Confidential reported that Miller would depart the serial. Soap Opera Digest later announced Miller's exiting, citing her decision to not renew her deal with the soap, and announced that Mansi would reprise the role for a "short-term" period of time. Miller made her final appearance on November 19, 2018. Mansi made her return in the role during the November 29, 2018, episode. Mansi departed on February 21, 2019. Mansi then appeared as Abigail in the spin-off, Chad and Abby in Paris.
On May 5, 2019, it was announced that Mansi would again reprise the role of Abigail on the main show. Mansi returned on November 11, 2019, and exited on May 27, 2020. The following month, it was announced that Miller would reprise the role; she returned during the September 4, 2020, episode. Miller took maternity leave for several months in 2021.
Development In January 2011, Soap Opera Digest reported that Abigail would be Chad DiMera's new love interest. Deidrick said he immediately connected to Mansi during her screen test. Throughout the spring of 2011, the head writers teased a relationship between the two, however Abigail was "turned off" because Chad is a DiMera, before realizing he isn't like his family. In an interview with TV Source Magazine from 2011, Mansi compared Chad and Abigail's dynamic to Romeo and Juliet. The duo shared an "instant attraction" but she distances herself because he is a DiMera knowing her mother Jennifer Horton (Melissa Reeves) does not approve. Mansi revealed that Stefano and Kate would also interfere in the romance forcing Chad and Abigail to "fight for their relationship," which makes them stronger. The onscreen pairing of Chad and Abigail became very popular among fans and garnered the squish name, "Chabby". Jamey Giddens enjoyed Abigail and Chad's new dynamic displayed in their snooping around Cameron. Giddens said that while he wasn't a fan of their initial romance, "Abby and Chad's scenes were fun, and made me wish I could see more."
Storylines 1992–1998, 2000–2007 Introduced in 1992, Abigail Johanna Deveraux is the oldest child of supercouple Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford) and Jennifer Horton (Melissa Reeves). She is born in the Horton cabin, with her own father delivering her. While her parents' car went off the road Jennifer goes into labor. She is named after Alice Horton's mother Abigail Johanna.
When Abby is 8 months old, she comes down with aplastic anemia as the result of polluted well water. A bone marrow donation from Austin Reed saves her life. Her father then discovers that he is responsible for the toxic dumping which had happened years earlier when his own father used him to sign papers. Jack is traumatized with guilt and leaves town because he thought Jennifer and Abby would be better off without him. Years later, he returns and the entire Deveraux family goes to live in Africa for a few years.
Abby's international upbringing also includes Ireland, where she and her mother live before returning to Salem in 2000. When her father returns to town, Abby hopes her estranged parents will reunite, but her mom has other ideas. Eventually her parents make their way back to each other and remarry. When Jack was hit on the head by the Salem Stalker, he was rendered brain dead. Jennifer made the heart-wrenching decision to turn off his life support. It was a decision that Abby couldn't forgive her for.
After Jack's death, Jennifer finds out she was pregnant. Months later, she starts receiving messages from Jack via her cell phone. This leads her to the island Melaswen where all the presumed dead victims of the Salem Stalker are. While on the island, Jennifer gives birth to Jack, Jr., Abby's brother. Jack, Jennifer and their newborn son are briefly reunited until Jack is presumed dead once again by drowning while trying to escape. In reality, he has been kidnapped again.
Months later, Jack makes his way back to Salem. The Deveraux family are finally reunited on Abby's 16th birthday. Abby begins spending a lot of time with her best friend Chelsea Benson, who starts dating Max Brady. Abby begins dating a guy named Josh. Jack gets trapped behind a door and has to watch them kissing.
Sadly, Jack becomes terminally ill shortly after his return but dies when his car crashes into a river and his body is never found. Jennifer and Frankie Brady begin seeing each other which upsets Abby, especially when she walks in on them making love in her parents' room. Abby even begins considering sleeping with Josh, even though she had always planned to wait until marriage. At a Pier Party with Chelsea and Max, Josh asks Abby to be exclusive and Abby tells Chelsea she is going to sleep with him first and then decide, but when things start to get hot, Abby gets a phone call and has to go. Little did both girls know that pictures of them kissing their boyfriends were taken by website owners and posted online which Frankie and Jennifer end up finding. Josh goes off screen later when Abby develops feelings for Max and his disappearance is never explained.
In 2006, during Jennifer's wedding to Frankie, Jack returns from being presumed dead with his presumed-dead amnesiac brother, Steve Johnson. After receiving a successful experimental treatment for his illness, Jack is finally cured and able to return to his life. Jack, Jennifer and Jack, Jr. soon leave for London to run the Spectator newspaper office. Abigail remains in Salem at the university studying business.
Abby soon begins working as an assistant at Max's garage, helping with paperwork and generally keeping the garage in order. Abby soon develops a crush on Max and begins displaying jealous feelings towards Max's relationship with Mimi Lockhart. When Mimi leaves town, Max is available again. Max soon admits his crush on Abby, and the two start dating, but only briefly. Abby's aunt, Maggie Horton, and Jack push her to not go out with Max. When Max tells Abby that he wants to stay friends and not pursue a relationship with her, she gets in a fight with him and leaves Salem to spend the summer with her family in London and doesn't return.
2011–2022 In March 2011, Abigail surprises her mother when she returns to Salem and expresses her dismay for her father Jack's absence. She tries to talk Jennifer into moving on without Jack and encourages her to pursue a relationship with Dr. Daniel Jonas, the surgeon who saved her life. Abby is instantly attracted to Stefano DiMera's youngest son Chad DiMera and realizes she should keep her distance. Chad comforts Abby when she learns that her mother is divorcing her father and admits she wishes her parents were still together. They soon begin dating, but Chad's step-mother, Kate DiMera starts plotting to break them up, but that plan quickly falls apart when Chad gets shot and 'disowns' his heritage.
In September 2011, Jack returns to Salem. It turns out he was secretly on an assignment as a reporter in Afghanistan and was taken hostage for over a year. Abby reacts in extreme anger when her father returns, after learning he lied again, and has a brief estrangement from him but eventually they reconcile. Later, Abby's relationship with Chad falls apart when he develops feelings for her best friend, Melanie Jonas and Abby secretly develops feelings for a married man, Austin Reed. One drunken night Austin and Abby kiss and when Austin wakes in the morning he is full of regret, thinking that he had slept with Abigail. He tries to cover it up to keep it from his wife Carrie Brady. What he doesn't know is that he and Abby never actually slept together, but Abby lets him think that to try to keep him. Austin continues to push her away in an attempt to rekindle his failing marriage. Realizing how much she is hurting Austin, Abigail comes clean revealing that she lied about sleeping with him. Abigail then begins to build a connection with Lexie Carver's half-brother, Cameron Davis, a doctor at the University of Salem. The two begin a flirtation that soon turns to a relationship. Her relationship with her father improves as well. He works with Marlena Evans and a support group to recover from PTSD and so, Jack eventually manages to open up to Abigail about it and she soon forgives him. After Jack dies, Abigail begins to fall apart, asking Cameron to sleep with her, though she would always turn him down. Due to Abby's grief and mixed feelings, Cameron breaks up with her and starts seeing other girls, much to Abby's chagrin.