| Belle Black | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Days of Our Lives | |||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Brianna and Chalice Fischette (1993–95) Brianna and Brittany McConnell (1995–98) Ashlyn and Kaylyn Messick (1998) Chelsea Butler (1998–99) Kirsten Storms (1999–2004) Charity Rahmer (2004) Martha Madison (2004–08, 2015–23) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current status | Former; Contract (returning) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1993–2008, 2015–23, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | October 21, 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | James E. Reilly | ||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Ken Corday and Tom Langan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | Last Blast Reunion (2019) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||
| Fullname | Isabella Black Brady | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Belle Tink (by John and Brady) Izzy (by John) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Alias(es) | Belle Brady Belle Kiriakis | ||||||||||||||||||
| Namesake(s) | Isabella Toscano | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gender | Female | ||||||||||||||||||
| Born | October 21, 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Age | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Attorney Fashion designer Nursing student | ||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Townhouse 715 Pinewood Avenue Salem, Illinois | ||||||||||||||||||
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Isabella "Belle" Black Brady is a character from the soap opera Days of Our Lives, currently portrayed by Martha Madison. Belle is the only child of supercouple John Black and Marlena Evans. She is also one half of the supercouple Shawn Douglas Brady and Belle Black, and the mother of Claire Brady. Belle is also the half-sister of Sami Brady, Eric Brady, Paul Narita and Brady Black (the only sibling with whom she was raised).
Casting
Created by head writer James E. Reilly, she was born on October 21, 1993, however Belle was rapidly aged to a teen when Kirsten Storms was hired to portray the character from August 5, 1999, to July 16, 2004. Charity Rahmer briefly played the role from July 19 to August 9, 2004. Martha Madison appeared in the role from August 10, 2004, to March 21, 2008. In June 2015, Madison confirmed she would reprise the role of Belle in November, as part of the show's fiftieth anniversary celebration. In March 2016, it was revealed that Madison was among four actors who been let go from the soap. However, on September 7, 2016, it was confirmed that Madison had been re-hired shortly following her firing and would remain on the soap indefinitely. Madison returned on January 24, 2017 and departed on February 20, 2017.
In July 2017, it was announced that Madison would return to the series. Madison returned from December 4, 2017 to March 27, 2018. Madison recently appeared from August 21 to November 8, 2018. Madison's recent appearance on the show aired from March 18 to July 9, 2019.
In November 2019, it was announced that Madison would again reprise the role for Days of Our Lives: The Digital Series, "Last Blast Reunion". It was then announced in May 2020, that the character would once again return during the summer, first airing in July 2020.
In December 2020, Madison is upped to contract.
In 2023, it was announced that Madison would leave the show, last airing in November.
Storylines
Originally, the residents of Salem believe that Belle is the daughter of Marlena and Roman Brady. Belle however is conceived on John's private jet on the night of Marlena's wedding anniversary to Roman. John and Marlena's airplane encounter also marks the beginning of a torrid affair which Sami witnesses when she sees the couple making love several weeks later on the Titan Industries board room table. Aware of the affair, Sami, keeps the knowledge secret for several months. When Marlena discovers that she is pregnant, John asks for a blood test that will determine if he is the father of the unborn child. By then, Sami is working as a volunteer at Salem Hospital. She accesses the results of the paternity test that confirms John as the father and changes the results. Later, the distraught teen kidnaps Belle and tries to have her legally adopted. Stefano DiMera eventually forces Marlena to confess to Roman and all of Salem the truth of her affair with John. Later still, Stefano reveals the truth of Belle's paternity to the Brady family after reading Sami's diary.
As a teen at Salem High School, Belle begins an ill-fated relationship with bad boy Philip Kiriakis but soon falls in love with Shawn Douglas Brady. Best friends with Mimi Lockhart, Belle's peers are shocked to see her burgeoning friendship with "Ghoul Girl" Chloe Lane. In 2001, Belle goes on a class trip to Puerto Rico. Belle, Shawn and Philip embark on their own on a missing-jewel hunt in search of a ruby that belongs to Alice Horton. After a near-drowning, the teens are successful and Shawn is able to return the ruby to his great-grandmother. Once back in Salem, a troubled classmate, Jan Spears, confides to Shawn that she had been raped by the father of recent arrivals to Salem, siblings Nicole Walker and Brandon Walker, and is now pregnant. Shawn agrees to claim paternity, thereby destroying his blossoming relationship with Belle. Despite her sense of loss, Belle is accepted to Columbia University, and makes it through her senior year as class valedictorian. Moreover, after Jan's miscarriage and the truth of her rape comes out, Belle forgives Shawn and tentatively reunites with him at the "Last Blast" Dance. Later that summer, during meteor showers on the Fourth of July, Belle and Shawn rescue the faux-alien-Gemini-twins, Rex Brady and Cassie Brady, who as it turns out were the children of Roman and Kate Roberts.
Deciding not to move to New York City, Belle attends Salem University where she lives in the same campus dorm with Shawn, Rex and Cassie, while more economically challenged Mimi lives at home. Belle and Shawn commit to a future together, but suffer another setback during Victor and Nicole's New Year's Eve wedding when Colin Murphy is murdered. Though Shawn shot at Colin and missed, he still felt responsible. Meanwhile, Belle works as an intern at her father's company, Basic Black. Headed for success as a fashion designer, Basic Black opts to feature Belle's designs, but Belle becomes increasingly disturbed when some of Salem's most prominent citizens are murdered by the Salem Stalker. The killer murders nine people before police uncovered the killer's identity, Belle's own mother Marlena. A devastated Belle lies to Shawn to provide an alibi for her mother. When Alice Horton (Frances Reid), Shawn's great grandmother is murdered, Shawn leaves town. Unbeknownst to Belle at the time, Jan Spears held Shawn captive in a cage; this allowed Belle to grow closer to Philip. Harboring a secret crush, Philip provides Belle with some much-needed solace and eventually persuades her to be with him. When Shawn returns, his personality undergoes a profound change. Philip and Belle agree to marry; Shawn only realizes his true feelings for Belle on the eve of her wedding to Philip. Belle also realizes the true extent of her feelings for Shawn, but fails to tell Philip before he ships out with his Marine unit. Shawn then attempts to rescue his former friend when Philip is taken hostage.
Belle stays married given the extent of Philip's injuries. Later, Belle gives birth to Claire Brady, who is really Shawn's daughter. Eventually, Claire's paternity is revealed, and Belle tells Phillip that she does not love him. Pregnant again, doctors tell Belle the baby would not survive. Philip makes the decision to terminate Belle's pregnancy after assuring her that he would not let the baby die. Utterly devastated, Belle leaves Philip and moves in with her parents. Ready to resume her relationship with Shawn, Belle begins to pressure Shawn to be a more responsible father. Shawn opts to respond by sleeping with former prostitute, Willow Stark. After Victor kidnaps Claire, a custody battle ensues, pitting Brady against Kiriakis. The conflict came to a head while at sea when Philip loses hold of Claire and the baby is swept overboard. Belle and Shawn eventually reunite with Claire; Shawn proposes marriage even as Belle and Philip grew closer. The passion-tossed triangle continues to undergo several more trials and predictable miscommunications when in November 23, 2007, Shawn and Belle marry even though Belle continued to have feelings for Philip. In March 2008, Shawn and Belle once again reconcile and decide to sail the world, strengthen their marriage, and bond as a family by taking Claire with them (as Bo and Hope did with Shawn), then together they leave Salem.
In November 2016, Belle returned to Salem with Shawn and their teenage daughter Claire. Belle had cheated Shawn while in Maine, and they were in the process of getting a divorce. Claire was also mad at Belle for wrecking their family, and Belle became jealous when Claire started to become friends with her singing coach Eve Donovan. Sami stole money from the DiMera family, and gave a portion to Belle. Belle had a couple of creepy encounters with Andre DiMera, who brainwashed Chad DiMera to seduce Belle, and find out where Sami hid the money. After almost being caught by Abigail Deveraux. Belle realized she was making a mistake. Belle rekindled her relationship with Philip even though Claire hoped her parents could work things out, and Claire only came to resent Belle more when she learned Belle was seeing Philip. Using the money Sami gave her, Belle purchased Victor's old club, so Claire could have a place to practice her singing, but Claire saw it as Belle trying to buy her love.
After a lot of ups and downs, Shawn And Belle finally find there way back to one another. Belle gets a job offer for DiMera Enterprises from Chad, but it would require her to move to Hong Kong. After some hesitation, she accepts Chad's offer and her and Shawn leave.
Both Shawn and Belle have since returned to Salem a number of times over the years to deal with there troubled daughter Claire. They both remain in Salem as of 2020.
Notable Possessions
Hooded Red coat: Belle has a hooded red coat that Shawn had bought her. It was stolen by Jan Spears, who wore it with the hood up to murder Charlie Dale. That way, it would look like Belle was the one who murdered him. Belle was briefly convicted of Charlie's murder till the truths came out. In 2022, Belle was framed once again, but this time by The Devil possessing her nephew Johnny DiMera. Johnny's grandmother Susan Banks could sense the devil's presence and Belle was in the mansions at the time, so the devil made 666 appear in ashes on the back of Belle's coat, making Susan believe she was possessed. When Belle got the station, the 666 had been replaced by ashes.
