DAYS OF OUR LIVES CUSTODY CHAOS: JAVI AND LEO FACE LOSING TESORO AFTER SOPHIA TRUTH REVEALED
TL;DR: Javi Hernandez (Al Calderon) and Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) are terrified they’re about to lose baby Tesoro on Days of Our Lives after everyone discovers Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd) is his biological mother.
Meanwhile, Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) and Chanel Dupree-DiMera (Raven Bowens) are being kept in the dark about the whole mess, even though they wanted to adopt Tesoro themselves. With Sophia in the hospital and multiple families claiming stakes in this baby’s future, Days of Our Lives just served up the messiest custody battle Salem has ever seen.
How We Got Here: Tesoro’s Complicated Origin Story
Let’s rewind: Sophia secretly gave birth at home, panicked about everyone’s reaction, and dropped her baby boy off at a safe haven drop site. Javi—working his first day as an EMT with the Salem Fire Department—delivered the baby from the firehouse to the hospital then elected to act as foster parent, and he and Leo quickly fell head-over-heels for the little guy they named Tesoro (Spanish for “treasure”).
Plot twist: Sophia had been lying about literally everything. She told Tate Black (Leo Howard) he was the father, faked her pregnancy timeline, and orchestrated an elaborate scheme to prevent Johnny and Chanel from adopting a baby. Because apparently, ruining lives is Sophia’s favorite hobby. She needs to take up knitting.
Javi and Leo’s Growing Attachment
Javi and Leo have become utterly devoted to Tesoro. They’re buying Halloween costumes (a firefighter outfit AND a pirate costume because neither could resist), taking adorable family photos, and basically acting like proud papas. The entire Hernandez family has welcomed Tesoro into their home and hearts.
But now that the truth about Sophia being Tesoro’s biological mother is spreading through Salem like wildfire, Javi and Leo are facing a devastating reality: If Sophia is his mom, this little boy’s future might no longer be in their hands.
Spoilers reveal they’re “worried about Tesoro” for every good reason. Sophia gets to make all the decisions as the child’s mother, and given her track record of stellar life choices (sarcasm heavily intended), that’s terrifying for everyone involved.
Johnny and Chanel: Left in the Dark
Meanwhile, Johnny and Chanel are being kept completely in the dark about the Sophia situation. They wanted to adopt Tesoro before discovering that Sophia orchestrated their entire adoption sabotage—including those inappropriate photos of Johnny with Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis) and the anonymous letter trash-talking Johnny to the social worker.
Chanel was so overwhelmed by seeing Tesoro that she ran off crying, while Johnny tried to comfort her with promises they’d prove they were set up. Now they’re slowly piecing together that Sophia lied about everything—including Tesoro’s paternity. And she seems to have done it specifically to destroy their adoption chances.
The Paternity Plot Thickens
Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) got the DNA test results and discovered that Tesoro is NOT his grandson and Tate is NOT the father. But Sarah Horton Kiriakis (Linsey Godfrey) and Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) notably didn’t say an word about Sophia NOT being the mother.
Brady caught that omission immediately and started connecting all the dots. After talking with Johnny and Chanel, he muttered “Unless…” while realizing it’s possible that Tate isn’t the father of Sophia‘s baby, but Sophia could still be Tesoro’s mother. The very same baby mama who abandoned him at the firehouse.
Who Gets to Raise Tesoro?
Here’s where things get legally and emotionally complicated. Let’s look at the contenders:
Javi and Leo: Current foster parents who are deeply attached and provide a loving home
Johnny and Chanel: Want to adopt and were sabotaged by Sophia’s schemes
Sophia: Biological mother who abandoned the baby but could reclaim parental rights, because blood is typically thicker than water
The Mystery Father: Still unknown, but definitely NOT Tate
By this Friday, Leo and Javi are set to have a run-in with Amy Choi (Shi Ne Nielson)—Sophia’s mother—which promises to be oh-so-incredibly-awkward, especially considering they’re raising Amy’s grandson without her knowledge.
The Bottom Line
This custody battle is about to explode into full-scale warfare involving multiple families, abandoned babies, paternity mysteries, and one very confused social services system. Tesoro deserves a stable, loving home. But who will ultimately win the right to raise him?
One thing’s certain: When the dust settles, Salem’s family tree is going to need some serious pruning.
Soap Sleuthing: Think you’ve figured out what the writers are planning before the spoilers drop? Got evidence to support your wild theory? Send it to [email protected] and we’ll feature the best fan theories!
