Peter Porte Unexpectedly Exits Days Of Our Lives

Dimitri Von Leuschner (Peter Porte) was first introduced in the "Days of Our Lives" spinoff series "Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem" in 2021, where he was posing as ISA agent Kyle Graham and tried to blackmail the world with city-leveling lasers. However, his plan was thwarted and he was sent to prison. 

In May 2023, he turned up on the main show, revealing that his mother was the villain Megan DiMera (Miranda Wilson). The apple didn't fall far — after finding out that if he got married before his 40th birthday, Dimitri would inherit the Von Leuschner fortune, he tricked Gwen Risczech (Emily O'Brien) into marrying him. But, he simultaneously had an affair with Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) which soon turned to love. Scorned when she learned the truth, Gwen left town devastated.

When his past misdeeds caught up with him, Dimitri and Leo went on the run, causing a car accident involving a pregnant Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker). A complicated baby swap occurred, making her and her husband EJ DiMera (Daniel Feuerriegel) believe that the infant died. Leo managed to escape, only to get caught, and Dimitri had no choice but to turn himself in so his lover would be freed. Now, he's been sent to a supermax prison for his crimes and portrayer Peter Porte is exiting the soap.

Now that Dimitri Von Leuschner is in prison on "Days of Our Lives," he's already clashed with Lucas Horton (Bryan Dattilo) on the December 11 episode, because he'd previously kidnapped his mother, Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow) — although the worst that happened to her was that she was forced to cut up mackerel on his yacht.

Dattilo was not the only one to return to the sudser, as fellow inmate Clyde Weston's portrayer James Read brought his character back in October 2023, and has briefly appeared since then to give orders to his reluctant henchwoman Ava Vitali (Tamara Braun). Considering that more characters on "Days" are ending up in the slammer to continue their stories, the odds of Porte returning to Salem are good. But, he does have a lot going on beyond Salem (pun intended), and his newest Christmas telefilm "Yuletide the Knot" premiered on December 3.

We're looking forward to seeing his various new projects, but also hold out hope that Dimitri will return to continue wreaking havoc on "Days" soon!