Jennifer Horton
Jennifer Horton is a fictional character from the Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives, played by actress Melissa Reeves. Jennifer was created by scriptwriter Pat Falken Smith, and executive producer Betty Corday. The role has also been portrayed by Maren Stephenson, Jennifer Peterson, Stephanie Cameron, Cady McClain and Marci Miller.
Jennifer's storylines often focus on love and romance. The daughter of Bill and Laura Horton, she is a member of the original core family, the Hortons. Despite beginning as a rebellious teenager, she has transformed into a true soap heroine. Jennifer is known for her popular pairing with Jack Deveraux, most notably portrayed by Matthew Ashford. The pairing of Jack and Jennifer, known as "J&J" to soap fans, has become one of the soaps' most infamous supercouples. McClain's performance in the role earned her the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series in 2021.
Development
Background
Jennifer Horton is one of the earliest characters to be invented by executive producer Betty Corday, and scriptwriter Pat Falken Smith. The character was brought on as part of the soap's core family, the Hortons. She is the daughter of established characters Bill and Laura Horton, and the mother of Abigail and JJ DeverauxCasting
As Jennifer is introduced on February 9, 1976, the role was originated by child actress Maren Stephenson until August 8, 1977. For storyline purposes, the role is briefly taken over by Jennifer Peterson from December 1, 1977, to July 4, 1979, until the character was written out of the show when her mother, Laura Horton, was in a psychiatric facility, thus and would not be able to care for her.On October 9, 1985, the character was re-introduced with Santa Barbara actress Melissa Reeves in the role. She proved to be a fan favorite and younger leading heroine. Her relationship with Jack Deveraux prompted the couple to be pronounced a supercouple for the daytime drama. Reeves stayed with the serial until she abruptly quit on December 15, 1995, at the insistence of her husband, Scott Reeves. To replace Reeves, the show brought on Stephanie Cameron as Jennifer on December 18, 1995. Cameron portrayed the character until she was written off the show on June 5, 1998.
In early 2000, rumors started swirling that Melissa Reeves would be returning to the show, due to the series crumbling to fill the void left by the departures of front-burner cast members Vivian Alamain, played by Louise Sorel and Eric Brady, played by Jensen Ackles. Her return was officially announced in April 2000. Reeves returned to work and began airing shortly after on October 6. After six years on the serial, Reeves departed again on September 21, 2006, to spend time with her family. The show's matriarch, Frances Reid who played Alice Horton died of old age on February 3, 2010. Reeves was invited back for her onscreen tribute on June 10 of that same year. Reeves remained in a recurring guest star role until July 6. It was announced later that month that Reeves would return permanently in the role beginning on November 12.
In September 2020, it was announced Cady McClain had been temporarily cast in the role, replacing Reeves—who opted not to commute from Tennessee to California—due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Reeves last appeared on October 13, with McClain debuting on October 20. On February 2, 2021, Marci Miller briefly portrayed Jennifer in newly-created flashbacks. McClain exited the role on February 17. She briefly reappeared on April 30 of that year. Later that in year, it was announced that Reeves would be returning, and she returned on December 24, 2021.
In April 2024, it was announced Reeves would reprise the role; her return debuted on November 28.
Storylines
1976–2006
Jennifer Rose Horton is born during a snowstorm in 1976. In 1979, her mother's mental state deteriorates and she puts little Jennifer Rose in danger by putting her on a bus alone. In 1985, Jennifer returns to Salem as a teenager in deep trouble who dressed in a style similar to Madonna at the time. She has become a rebellious runaway, is a compulsive liar, and is being stalked by a rapist. Her brother Mike Horton comes to her rescue. By the following year she gives up on her runaway lifestyle and moves back in with her grandparents, Tom and Alice Horton. During the summer of 1986, she begins a non-intimate romance with a high school classmate Glenn Gallagher. However, Jennifer inadvertently exposes Glenn's plan to uncover his coach's drug dealing. Jennifer trails Glenn to the park and finds the coach holding a gun to Glenn's head. Jennifer then enlists the help of classmate Frankie Brady. Later, when on a class trip, Jennifer and Frankie discover they have feelings for one another. Jennifer rejects Glenn's pressure to have sex and turns to Frankie. Together, Jennifer and Frankie foil a robbery attempt and help bust a prostitution ring. In 1987, Jennifer's father Bill returns to Salem and tries running Jennifer's life. Jennifer rebels by becoming engaged to Frankie; however, she breaks the engagement when she learns of her mother and grandmother's mental problems, thinking she'd develop the same problems and pass them on to her own children. They reunite briefly, but Eve Donovan spills the beans about an affair Frankie had while separated from Jennifer.In 1989, Jennifer becomes an intern reporter at the Salem Spectator, working under the tutelage of publisher Jack Deveraux. She befriends Sally, a pregnant homeless girl who gets herself arrested so she won't have her baby on the streets. But the officials won't let Sally keep her baby once it was born. Jack pretends to be Jennifer's husband, and they offer the child Hannah a foster home. Jack soon falls in love with Jennifer, but Emilio soon comes to town. Although Emilio pulls away from Jennifer when she is threatened by the gang Emilio once belonged to, Jennifer soon finds herself torn between Emilio and Jack. When Jack hides his feelings for Jennifer, she then becomes engaged to Emilio. Desperate to keep Jennifer from marrying Emilio, Jack kidnaps her on her wedding day. When Jennifer escapes, she falls off a cliff and was knocked unconscious. Jack finally pours his heart out to her. Later, Jack becomes insecure about his feelings for Jennifer, so she returns to Emilio. During the Cruise Of Deception, however, Jack saves Jennifer's life, and they make love for the first time.
Later, Lawrence Alamain comes to town. Jennifer believes that Lawrence thinks she is Katerina, the heiress to the Von Leuschner fortune, due to a confusion going back to when the real heiress and Jennifer were teenagers and they had switched dates. After a hurried wedding, Lawrence rapes Jennifer, admitting that he knew her real identity all along. Jack arrives to rescue Jennifer. Jack and Jennifer became engaged, but he calls off the wedding because he feels alienated from her. Jennifer is still unable to handle intimacy and is too ashamed to tell Jack that Lawrence raped her. Jack then marries Eve to help her get her hands on her $10 million inheritance. After Jennifer finally tells Jack the truth, she presses rape charges against Lawrence. Kimberly and Jack are able to record him confessing to the rape, and Lawrence is then sent to jail. Eve reluctantly grants Jack a divorce, and Jack and Jennifer are married. Soon after, a swindler named Hawk soon cheats them out of their money. He is caught, but the couple remains penniless. Jennifer then learns she is pregnant, but Jack's joy is not great. He thinks he is suffering a relapse of Hodgkin's disease. Though he is not ill, Jennifer goes to New York to do a TV show with Calliope. Jennifer gives birth later that year to a daughter, Abigail Johanna.
The following year, Abigail is diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Jennifer teams up with Austin Reed to find the environmental cause of Abigail's illness. It is soon revealed that Jack was the one who had allowed the toxic waste dumping and was responsible for Abigail's illness. Overwhelmed with guilt, Jack leaves Salem and Jennifer behind. Jennifer begins dating Peter Blake after Jack is gone. Peter is involved with drug trafficking at the time. Jack returns to Salem and spies on his ex-wife and her current love. Jennifer begins to try to find a man named Clark, who her mom had feelings for. It turns out that Clark is actually Jack. Jennifer is devastated and goes through with her marriage to Peter. Jack tries continuously to prove that Peter is devious but to no avail. A year later, Jennifer and Peter separate when she finds out he lied to her. Jack catches Peter with a syringe meant for Jennifer so that Peter can drug her and then take her and Abigail out of the country. Jack ends up shooting Peter, and it looks like Peter has died after Stefano switches Peter's alive body with the dead body of an old associate wearing a Peter mask. Jack is sentenced to serving life in prison for the death of Peter, and Jennifer vows her eternal love for Jack every day. Jack breaks out of jail and takes Jen with him to evade police. They all are on the run for a while, until they join up with a circus. Jack becomes a laborer and Jen the assistant with Abby. Eventually, Jack and Jennifer flee for Africa. While in Africa, Jennifer and Jack experience some problems with their relationship, especially when Jennifer falls for a young man named Colin Murphy.
Jennifer flees to Ireland with Abby, where she ends up getting herself in trouble, and then has to come back to Salem with Bo. Jack soon follows her, and the two move in together so they can look after Abigail. Jennifer initially pushes Jack away and concentrates on relationships, first with Brandon then Colin, but she and Jack cannot resist that certain something that has always been between them. They are remarried, much to the delight of Abby. Jack and Jennifer are just beginning to enjoy their married life together again and hosting "In the House," a show that was a wedding gifts from Jennifer's father Bill to her and Jack. Jack is struck down in an alley behind Salem Place by the Salem Stalker, and Jennifer is forced to make the choice of taking him off life support and donating his organs. Abby is unable to forgive her mother until Jennifer realizes she is pregnant, but tragedy strikes again when Jennifer learns that her baby will have serious mental and physical deformities, and Lexie advises her to terminate. Desperate to hold on to the last part of Jack she would ever have, Jennifer refuses to terminate her pregnancy. With the help of her new tenant and friend, Patrick Lockhart, Jennifer begins looking forward to a new life with Abby and the baby. When she is nearly full term, Jennifer gets a message on her computer, supposedly from Jack, and takes off to find him. She is picked up by a pilot who was to take her to the island of Melaswen. Unfortunately, the plane crashes, and Jennifer ends up in the jungle. She is thrilled when she reunited with Jack, and together the two begin planning a future for Jack Patrick Jr., but when they try to return to Salem, Jack is presumed dead on the return voyage. Jennifer tries to move on with her life, but finds it difficult because Abby can't forgive Jennifer for Jack's death. Jennifer is almost preparing to move on when a miracle occurs and Jack is back home for real. Together, Jack and Jennifer work on rebuilding their family, which is complete now that Abby are getting along much better with her mother. The two get a job offer for London, and Jack and Jennifer leave for London with baby Jack.