Former Hallmark Star on Show Departure: ‘I Didn’t Leave by Choice’

Heavy Greg Vaughan promised he'd be returning to "Days of Our Lives."

A former Hallmark star departed his long-running gig and fans worry he’s gone for good.

“Days of Our Lives” star Greg Vaughan suggested uncertainty regarding his future as Eric Brady. In addition, he made it clear he didn’t initiate his departure.

“I didn’t leave by choice. I never had a choice,” Vaughan revealed to fans in a July 30 Instagram Story.

Greg Vaughan Left Fans Wondering About His Future With ‘Days of Our Lives’

On July 29, TV Line shared a recap of how “Days of Our Lives” characters Nicole and Eric left the town of Salem. Many fans already knew that Arianne Zucker, who has played the character of Nicole, was leaving the show.

The writers created a storyline for Zucker’s exit that had Vaughan’s character leaving Salem with her. The couple, with their baby Jude, relocated to Paris together.

What viewers were not prepared for was to see Vaughan potentially gone for good, too.

Vaughan shared a couple of Instagram Stories on July 30 that suggested he felt pretty emotional about the situation.

First, Vaughan shared a look at the Soap Opera Digest Instagram post that showed a photo of him and teased casting news. He also shared a screenshot of what Soap Opera Digest wrote about his situation in their “Comings and Goings” section.

“Although Eric moved to Paris with true love Nicole and their son, Vaughan’s absence from the canvas won’t be permanent – a reliable source has told ‘Digest’ that this is definitely not the last fans will see of Eric,” Soap Opera Digest indicated.

Vaughan added an emoji of a man shrugging his shoulders over the text about Eric returning.

The shrugging emoji could be perceived as a tease from Vaughan that the report he’ll return was correct. However, his subsequent Instagram Story seemed to send a different messge.

In his next Instagram Story, Vaughan shared a note that read, “I didn’t leave by choice, I never had a choice.” He added a broken heart emoji at the end.

Fans Aren’t Ready for Eric, or Vaughan, to Be Gone for Good

According to Vaughan’s IMDb profile, he has appeared as Eric in 1,035 episodes of “Days of Our Lives,” going back to 2012. As of August 6, the July 29 episode is Vaughan’s last credit on the show. There were no upcoming projects listed for Vaughan on his IMDb page, but given his extensive list of acting credits, fans likely can count on something developing for him sooner rather than later.

If the report from Soap Opera Digest about Vaughan returning as Eric is accurate, fans may not have to wait too long to see Eric back in Salem.

According to Soaps.com, longtime “Days of Our Lives” star Deidre Hall shared a sweet tribute to Vaughan in an Instagram post on her page.

“Sad day, saying goodbye to this kind, caring beautiful man. It was a delight to get to know him well in our time together. In addition to his many gifts, I found his profound commitment and devotion to his family the most endearing,” she wrote, according to the outlet.

However, Hall deleted that Instagram post. Could that mean Vaughan will return to “Days of Our Lives”?

Fans seem disappointed by Vaughan’s recent exit and some are hopeful he’ll be back. A few are confident the reports he’ll be back are accurate.

“Good news is Eric will be back in Salem in the coming months,” one fan wrote on the “Days of Our Lives” Instagram page.

“Disgraceful that [Eric and Nicole] are leaving. They should be one of the couples leading the show,” another Instagram user shared.

“Always the good ones leaving!!! Gonna miss Eric Brady,” a fan admitted on the Soap Opera Digest Instagram page.

Someone else shared, “He’s one of my fav actors on Days. Very sad to see him leave along with Nicole!”