| Lani Price | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Days of Our Lives | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Sal Stowers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Current status | Former; Guest (returning) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2015–24 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | September 25, 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Josh Griffith and Dena Higley | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Albert Alarr, Ken Corday and Greg Meng | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Fullname | Lani Price Grant | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender | Female | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 10, 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Age | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Police Detective (2015-19; 2020-present) Police Officer (formerly) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Salem, Illinois | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Lani Price Grant is a character from the soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed by Sal Stowers.
Casting and creation
The series released the casting call for the contract role in September 2014, then known as Maya. The character was due to start filming in late 2014 and expected to air by Spring 2015. On June 30, 2015, it was announced that model and actress Sal Stowers, known to daytime audiences for portrayal of Cassandra Foster on the short lived online reboot of All My Children. Stowers was the season 9 of the reality television series America's Next Top Model. The actress was slated to make her first appearance in September 2015. "So beyond excited and honored to announce that I have joined the Emmy-winning cast of Days Of Our Lives!" Stowers said in celebration of her new gig. Stowers filmed her first scenes in April 2015. On September 2, 2015, Stowers confirmed through Twitter that she would debut in the role of Lani on September 25. Stowers auditioned opposite Galen Gering and beat out 8 other actresses for the coveted role. Stowers described the casting process in an interview with Soap Opera Digest. "It was 6 a.m. and there was this huge adrenaline rush right before the test." She was instructed by the casting director Marnie Saitta to do push-ups to help calm her nerves. Stowers booked the role the same day. She was still a bit nervous but then the actress told herself "There was a reason why I got the job." She taped three episodes on her first day. The casting reunited Stowers with her All My Children co-star Robert Scott Wilson. To celebrate her new gig, Stowers planned a brunch to coincide with her first airshow. "I love playing Abe's and being apart of his family" Stowers said of the role. "I'm so passionate about Lani" she continued.
Background
Lani is introduced as a new police cadet at the Salem Police department and later reveals herself to be the illegitimate daughter of Mayor Abe Carver (James Reynolds) and his ex Tamara Price (Marilyn McCoo). Lani is very driven and focused on her career. Lani forms a close bond with her younger half-brother Theo Carver (Kyler Pettis) and also falls for Shawn Douglas Brady (Brandon Beemer) who has recently separated from his wife. She is also instrumental in bringing down Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson), the "Necktie Killer." Lani leaves town when Shawn Douglas reunites with his ex-wife. The character returns to town in December 2016 to visit her father Abe who has recently been shot by Clyde Weston (James Read). A paranoid Theo ropes her into investigating their father's new love interest Valerie Grant (Vanessa A. Williams). Later she entered into a relationship with her partner, Detective J.J. Deveraux (Casey Moss).
In Christmas 2017, after she believed her boyfriend J.J. was having an affair with his ex Gabi Hernandez, she had a one night stand with Eli Grant. Through her one night stand, in January 10, Lani discovers she is pregnant with Eli's baby.
In 2021, it was revealed that Lani's aunt Paulina was her biological mother, and Paulina's abusive ex Ray was her biological father.
Storylines
Lani first arrives in Salem, Illinois as a new police officer. She begins looking at a picture of Abe Carver. She also started a flirtation with police detective Rafe Hernandez. Abe saw the photos of him on Lani's laptop and soon realized that she was his daughter with Tamara Price. Lani and Rafe attended the Bicentennial where Abe confronted Lani about his suspicions, and Lani confirmed she was his daughter. Abe said he wants to tell Theo before everyone else. Soon after, Theo asked Lani for help when Joey Johnson collapsed.
Lani was very helpful with realizing that Ben Weston was the actual necktie killer because almost all the murders looked staged. Lani and JJ went to mammoth falls to arrest Ben. When Theo found out that Lani was his sister he threw a fit and did not talk to anyone, except her. Theo saw Abe and Lani eating and talking, and Abe wanted Theo to join them, but Theo said no and Lani realized he was upset. Theo confide in Lani that he was being bullied. Lani kept trying to seduce Rafe even though it was obvious that he was not interested That became official after Hope Brady killed Stefano DiMera and Rafe became close with her. Lani got a new partner Shawn Douglas Brady at the police force and the two became close. Shawn and Lani started flirting and eventually kissed. Lani and Shawn went to a café on a date during Shawn's sister Ciara Brady's birthday Theo and Claire saw Shawn and Lani kiss. Lani, joined Shawn, JJ, John Black, Rafe, and his father Eduardo Hernandez on infiltrating the compound of Tim Robicheaux (Yo Ling). A gunfight broke out, before they were driven back, and John was captured by Yo Ling's men.
Shawn and Lani continued their relationship and Lani tried seduce Shawn almost every possible time. Lani and Shawn kissed and almost had sex on the interrogation room table. Lani revealed to Shawn that she had a relationship in Miami that ended in disaster and that Shawn was the only real love she ever had. Lani and Shawn went to a motel, but ended up busting up a drug deal that was taking place in the room next to theirs. Shawn and Belle reconnected and got back together, and his relationship with Lani ended as a result. Lani was said to be in Miami Florida, but returned to Salem near the end of the year. She agreed to help Theo investigate Valerie Grant, who had gotten close to their father, and on New Years Eve, revealed to J.J. that she was the woman he had slept with while in Miami.
Lani and JJ eventually got closer and became an actual couple. In April 2017, Lani took on a tough assignment where she went undercover as a prostitution in order to catch a drug dealing pimp named Snake. Snake was dealing a dangerous and highly addictive drug called Halo. After Lani’s first encounter with Snake, she woke up on a park bench. JJ and Abe didn’t want Lani going undercover, but Lani went against their wishes, and met Snake again. Snake found out Lani was a cop, and forced her to take a bunch of Halo pills. JJ burst in and arrested Snake. Lani was hospitalized and suffered greatly while detoxification.
Soon after, in May 2017, Lani went to Greece to help apprehend Deimos Kiriakis for kidnapping Nicole Walker. On the way back to Salem, on Chad DiMera’s plane, the plane crashed and left them stranded on a deserted island, and they spent most of May on the island. On the island, JJ and Lani finally consummated their relationship, but things took a turn for the worse when Lani found a skull, and a diary was located that talked about a couple that had been stranded on the island. The husband became afflicted with Jungle Madness, which made him violent, and he eventually ended up killing her. Eli went missing only to turn up later with a shoulder wound and revealed that Paul Narita had become afflicted with Jungle Madness. The group subdued a violent Paul, and were soon rescued by John Black and Marlena Evans.
Lani sleeps with Eli
In November, JJ and Lani’s relationship hit a rough patch when JJ and Lani were investigating a break in, and JJ shot the prep, who turned out to be Theo. Abe was furious with JJ for the shooting and wanted to punish him, and JJ was so wracked with guilt that he broke up with Lani. On Christmas Eve, Lani went to see JJ, and saw him and Gabi in bed together. Lani ran into Eli, and confided in him. Eli was furious, and during the conversation he revealed he had fallen for her a long time ago. To suppress their pain Eli and Lani ended up sleeping together. Lani was filled with regret, but Eli felt there was nothing wrong only to find out later that Gabi had stayed with JJ because JJ had been planning to commit suicide.
In January 10, 2018; Lani discovers she is pregnant with Eli's baby and considers abortion without letting Eli and JJ know, only confiding in Kayla Brady about the child not being JJ's. Later, JJ finds out about her pregnancy, thinking the baby is his and convinces her not to abort the child. She keeps the truth from JJ about the baby not being his, but confesses to Eli about the baby being his after his mother Valerie Grant threatens her to.
Gabi learns about Eli and Lani's fling and threatens to our Lani unless she helps clear her for murdering Andre DiMera. At Gabi's trial, JJ learned the truth and stormed out in a fit of rage. Lani suffered a miscarriage, and became obsessed with looking after David Ridgeway, Jordan Ridgeway's son, who she seeking treatment for mental illness. Lani eventually got over her obsession and rekindled her relationship with Eli, but when Lani tried to apprehend Vivian Alamain for attempting to nurse Kate Roberts, she end up shooting Vivian's son and Gabi's husband, Stefan DiMera. Stefan went brain dead as a result, and a vengeful Gabi made Lani beg on her knees to donate Stefan's heart to Julie Olson Williams.
