When Tate confessed to his father Brady what he had done on Days of our Lives, the reaction in Salem wasn’t nearly as harsh as what viewers felt watching at home. The teen crossed one of the worst possible lines by trying to manipulate Sophia, and in the process, planted a kiss that sent Holly reeling. Tate’s plan was to lure her in by faking feelings for her so he could get her to reveal what really happened after she gave birth. What followed was one of the most dramatic breakups we’ve seen in months — punctuated by Holly delivering a fist straight to Tate’s face.
He Was Shocked
Tate and Holly’s portrayers, Leo Howard and Ashley Puzemis, were on hand to answer questions for Soaps about this major turn of events. While Holly feels hurt by the perceived betrayal, both actors are clear-eyed about what went down. As Puzemis noted, everything had been going well until Tate blew it in spectacular fashion, and she admitted it was satisfying to play Holly finally putting her foot down.
Even Howard admitted he struggled when reading the script. “100 percent, he deserved it,” he said bluntly of Tate getting punched. He recalled being genuinely angry at his character’s boneheaded choice, especially after investing so much in playing Tate’s feelings for Holly sincerely. Howard explained that it was difficult to justify Tate’s sudden move when everything about the storyline had been building toward young love rather than sabotage.
What Comes Next for Tate and Holly
Still, Howard found his way into Tate’s head by connecting it to the character’s grief. He reasoned that Tate hadn’t properly dealt with the pain of giving up his baby and was so desperate for answers that he lashed out recklessly. In his mind, Tate “lost sight of everything just because I’m so obsessed with getting answers or just having some connection, not losing this connection, that I just do a dumb thing.”
For Holly, the kiss was unforgivable, especially when Sophia wasted no time twisting the truth to make it sound far worse. The fallout may have ended the couple, at least for now, but this is Salem — and second chances are practically a way of life.
