Shawn-Douglas Brady

Shawn-Douglas Brady is a fictional character on the television soap opera, Days of Our Lives. He is the son of supercouple, Bo Brady and Hope Williams, and one half of the supercouple, Shawn Brady and Belle Black. Jason Cook is most identifiable in the role, portraying the character from October 15, 1999, to September 22, 2006. Brandon Beemer was in the role from September 28, 2006, to March 21, 2008. In May 2015, Soap Opera Digest reported the character will be returning for the show's 50th anniversary, once again portrayed by Cook.^[1] On November 10, 2015, it was confirmed that Beemer would return to the role in 2016, replacing Cook yet again.^[2]

Fictional character history

Shawn is the son of supercouple, Bo and Hope Brady. In 1990, Shawn fell into a piper and lost his hearing. With his mother gone, Shawn and his father became close with Shawn's doctor and eventually Bo's fiancée, Carly Manning. When Bo and Carly's engagement ended, Shawn bonded with Bo's new girlfriend, Billie Reed, who later became Bo's wife. Then, Shawn's mother, Hope, returned to Salem. Although Hope did not know who she was at first, her memory returned and Bo and Hope reunited. Shawn eventually regained his hearing. At an early age, Shawn was kidnapped by Stefano DiMera, but escaped. In high school, Shawn competed with Philip Kiriakis for the romantic affections of both Belle Black and Chloe Lane. Shawn and Belle became a couple, while Philip and Chloe enjoyed a brief romance. The following summer, Shawn and Belle joined other teens from Salem High on an ill-fated trip to Puerto Rico. While hunting for Alice Horton's missing ruby, Shawn got caught up in Jan Spears's personal tragedy. She became pregnant after being raped while on the island, and Shawn offered to say he was the father to spare her any additional humiliation, tearing his relationship with Belle apart.

By the end of senior year, Belle learned the truth and the two were on the brink of reconciliation. However, impending college careers, the arrival of Rex and Cassie Brady, and old trust issues kept them apart. When Hope and Shawn's baby brother were kidnapped, which brought Belle and Shawn together on a mission to find them. However, Philip Kiriakis returned to Salem and he and Belle were matched up on the dating show, "Love is Blind."

More troule ensued when Jan Spears reared her devious head in Salem. Shawn left Salem distraught and confused by the revelation that Belle's mother, Marlena Evans, was the Salem Stalker and responsible for the death of Shawn's family members. That was just the opportunity Jan needed. She cast her net and held Shawn captive in a giant cage. This allowed Belle to grow closer to Philip.

Once Shawn finally escaped, he crashed his motorcycle, leaving him with amnesia. Jan furthered her evil plans by not only convincing Shawn they were in love, but that they were engaged. Fate intervened - Shawn realized his love for Belle, and he crashed his motorcycle through the window of St. Luke's, but couldn't stop her marriage to Philip. Later, Shawn even helped in a rescue mission when Philip's troop was taken hostage overseas. He finally moved on after Belle gave birth to Philip's daughter, Claire, although unknown to all, Claire was in fact the daughter of Shawn.

Following Belle and Philip's wedding, Shawn and Mimi explored their feelings for each other. On New Year's Eve they got engaged and later married.

A DNA test proved to all that Shawn was Claire's biological father. This created a complex predicament for Shawn and Belle, since an in vitro mix-up meant that Belle was carrying a second baby fathered by Shawn.

When Shawn learned that Mimi knew he was Claire's father and never told him, he declared their marriage was over and left. Upon hearing that Victor also knew the truth about Claire's paternity, he ran a race car through a wall at the Kiriakis mansion and declared that he was done with Victor as well.

Belle lost the baby she was carrying. Shortly afterwards, Shawn misunderstood a conversation Belle was having with Carrie, leading him to believe she wanted nothing to do with him. He found solace with Willow, a former hooker, and the two eventually moved in together. Shawn insisted Willow hide from Belle, which created much tension in their relationship. He still wanted to have a relationship with Claire, and Belle told him the only way was to clear up his life. Staying with Willow out of sympathy, which seemed to be a habit with Shawn, he drove Belle further and further away. After yet another bad decision to work for E.J. Wells as a courier, Bo decided it was time to step in and warn his son.

After several run-ins with Willow and Belle, Shawn finally decided to be a good father to Claire and that he needed to quit working for EJ Wells as well as break it off with Willow. Shortly after Shawn asked Willow to move out, she set fire to the apartment and Shawn was kicked out. Shawn was forced to move in with his parents.

Just as Belle and Shawn were getting closer, they were issued court papers that Philip was fighting them for custody. Philip was awarded temporary custody of Claire and devastated Shawn and Belle were ordered to take parenting classes. As Victor and Philip left the court room, Shawn overheard Victor saying they would never give up Claire now that they have her. Everyone knew that Victor had paid off the judge just as he had the Child Protective Service worker, and even Willow to testify in court against Shawn.

Mimi told Shawn just a day later that while at the Kiriakis mansion to confront Philip she saw a passport for Claire. Shawn made the decision that he and Belle had to beat Philip and Victor at their own game, by kidnapping Claire and going on the run. In the course of a few months they went to Canada and then got on a boat to go to Australia. They were pursued by Philip at every corner. They ended up on a small island called Tinda Lau where they ultimately had to flee from Philip once again. It was in this final pursuit that Philip ruined the engine of their boat and nearly killed everyone including himself. As they realized that death was a possibility they promised that if they would get out of this to return to Salem as friends and that they would work out an agreeable custody arrangement. During the time of their fleeing Philip, Shawn and Belle grew closer and got back together.

Belle asked Philip to help Shawn find a job and so Philip arranged for Shawn to get a job with a company that Titan owned, in Ohio - one that would require extensive travel. It wasn't long before Shawn found out how he landed the interview and by coincidence, he got a call from Mimi about the baby that Philip was supposed to have with the surrogate mother. On July 4, 2007, Shawn was supposed to have gone to the interview but instead flew out to Indianapolis to meet with Lauren, the surrogate mother. Instead of ending the pregnancy as she said she would, she kept the baby and extorted money from Bonnie Lockhart until she couldn't do so any longer. This led to Philip receiving harassing phone calls until he confronted Lauren.

On July 25, 2007, Shawn asked Belle Black to marry him. Temptation and grief over losing her father led Belle to sleep with Philip. On November 23, 2007, Belle and Shawn were married in a ceremony at his parents' house. His father did not attend. On December 31, 2007, Belle admitted to Shawn that she slept with Philip. In March 2008, Shawn and Belle reconciled and decided to do as Shawn's parents had once done and sail the world to strengthen their marriage and find peace. In October 2011, it was mentioned by Hope that she received an email from Shawn, saying that he was glad that everything had worked out with his parents and that their granddaughter, Claire, missed them. Shawn returned to Salem on October 23, 2015 much to surprise of his mother, at the Brady Pub.

See also

• Supercouple
• Shawn Brady and Belle Black
• Brady Family

References

External links

• Shawn at soapcentral.com