Former ‘Days of Our Lives' star Alison Sweeney embraces ‘normal' Arizona life after ditching Hollywood
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the former 'Days of Our Lives' star, 48, opened up about her decision to leave Los Angeles and explained why she prioritizes health and wellness over the Hollywood hype these days.
'I mean, no [I don't miss Hollywood],' Sweeney, who has recently partnered with Align Probiotics for their latest campaign, told Fox News Digital.
'I miss my family. I love my family. I go to visit them all the time, but they're not really in Hollywood or whatever. So, no, I am thrilled with my life. I love how normal it is.'
The actress made her acting debut at the age of four when she landed a role in a Kodak commercial.
From there, she went on to find major success with various film and TV roles, including the role of Sami on the longtime-running soap opera ' Days of Our Lives .'
6 Austin Peck as Austin Reed and Alison Sweeney as Sami Brady embracing at a picnic.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
6 Alison Sweeney as Sami Brady.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
In 2019, the former 'Biggest Loser' host told Fox News Digital that being a child actor had taught her 'that there's always someone out there who is prettier and skinnier and fancier.'
She said she was able to combat that by gradually learning to believe in herself and what she had to offer, and by figuring out how to 'find that confidence' within herself. And as other childhood stars were succumbing to the temptations of the limelight, Sweeney said her family was really instrumental in helping her to keep her head on straight.
'I was really lucky. I'm from LA, so it wasn't a big fish-out of-water story, and my parents are super grounded and normal and real and tough and strict,' she said. 'I was never left out on my own to figure that out. I was always really guided by my brothers and my parents, who were all very loving.'
6 Alison Sweeney attends the Hallmark Media 2024 TCA Winter Press Tour.
Getty Images
These days, Sweeney is enjoying normalcy, while continuing to prioritize her health and wellness.
6 In 2019, the former 'Biggest Loser' host told Fox News Digital that being a child actor had taught her 'that there's always someone out there who is prettier and skinnier and fancier.'
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
'I am a busy mom and I work all the time, and you really don't have a lot of time for your gut health to not be aligned,' said Sweeney, who shares two children with husband David Sanov. 'And so it was a great partnership [with Align Probiotics] because I care about my health. Everything you're reading right now is people trying to be more healthy, people trying to understand their bodies better. And one of the things I learned at 'The Biggest Loser' is that you are getting signs from your body. Your body is trying to communicate with you. It's trying to help you.'
6 These days, Sweeney is enjoying normalcy, while continuing to prioritize her health and wellness.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
'And if you're listening to those signs, you can make a lot of better choices for yourself,' she continued. 'Staying active is very important, I'm not going to knock that, but I do think nutrition is number one for your health, and eating well. I'm not really hip to the Hollywood scene, but what I noticed with moms I'm friends with and just other everyday women is just more awareness … that your nutrition can make a difference in how you feel and your health.'
6 Alison Sweeney as Sami Brady, Christie Clark as Carrie Brady.
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Sweeney said that getting 'skinny' is not the way to go, but rather striving for 'healthy living.'
'Skinny is really not the right goal,' she said. 'Healthy living is the right goal. It is something to look forward to, something to strive towards. It's a marathon, it's not a sprint. And so, it's really important to look at big picture.'
And family is a huge part of that bigger picture.
The Hallmark actress, who recently celebrated 25 years of marriage with Sanov, said 'the little things' in life are what matter the most.
'Communication is key,' she said. 'I know that's maybe too cheesy to say, but just staying in contact, talking all the time, checking in on the little things. I used to say that gestures, loving gestures are so important, but it's not romantic. Like, 'Oh, bring me flowers every week.' It's little things like, he charges my phone for me when I can't find it. I make him cappuccino in the morning just to be nice. And then not only doing those things for your partner, but recognizing … and acknowledging them and allowing that to be the sweet care and gesture that it is.'
'Don't take it for granted,' she added. 'Appreciating those little moments are just as valuable.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Billy Joel speaks out about rumors he's had DUIs in new documentary
The Piano Man is defending his reputation. In the newly released second part of the HBO documentary 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes,' the 76-year-old music icon responded to the longstanding rumor that he's gotten multiple DUIs over the years. 'You know, along with fame comes a lot of gossip, rumors. I didn't like the tabloid kind of press,' Joel said in the doc. 'For example, there's this rumor that I have all these DUIs. That never happened, but people keep repeating the myth: 'Oh, he's got so many DUIs.'' Advertisement 6 Billy Joel performs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in Nov. 2024. Getty Images 'I never had a DUI,' he added, 'so f–k you.' Joel was first accused of drinking behind the wheel when he crashed a Mercedes-Benz in East Hampton, New York in June 2002. Less than a year later, he drove into a tree in Sag Harbor and had to be airlifted to a hospital. Advertisement 6 Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden in NYC in June 2023. Getty Images The 'Uptown Girl' singer suffered another accident in April 2004 when he crashed into a house in Long Island. The rumors about Joel led to 'Saturday Night Live' referencing his alleged drunk driving in a 2004 sketch that featured Horatio Sanz, who played the singer, chugging a bottle of pineapple schnapps and crashing into several walls and mailboxes while driving a group of girls to a party. However, Joel has repeatedly denied that he's ever gotten a DUI. Advertisement 6 Billy Joel performs in Melbourne, Australia in Dec. 2022. WireImage 'I had gone through a breakup and was really broken up about it, and I decided, 'I'm drinking too much. I should go to rehab,'' Joel told The New York Times Magazine in 2013. 'But people made a connection, like, 'Oh, he went there because he was in a car accident from drinking.' No.' 'I never had a DUI in my life,' he stated. 'That's another fallacy. Look at the police records.' 6 Billy Joel on Father's Day 2025. billyjoel/Instagram Advertisement In his documentary, Joel called the press 'mean' and admitted that he doesn't always enjoy being in the spotlight. 'Having that much attention paid to you is not easy,' he said. In 2005, Joel entered rehab following what he called an 'ultimatum' from his then-wife, Katie Lee. He entered the Betty Ford Center for a stint, then temporarily stopped touring once his time at the center was over. 6 Billy Joel attends MSG Entertainment and Billy Joel special franchise announcement at Chase Square at Madison Square Garden. Getty Images The 'Honesty' singer has been sober for several years now. 'I stopped [drinking] a couple of years ago,' Joel told the Los Angeles Times in 2023. 'It wasn't a big AA kick. I just got to a point where I'd had enough.' 6 Billy Joel at SiriusXM Studios in Los Angeles in Oct. 2024. Getty Images for SiriusXM Advertisement 'I didn't enjoy being completely inebriated, and it probably created more problems in my life than I needed,' he added. Both parts of 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' are now streaming on HBO Max.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Inside Zac Brown and Kendra Scott's plan for $6.7M Austin home after engagement announcement
Zac Brown and jewelry designer Kendra Scott are engaged after the country singer popped the question with a sparkling pink diamond. So, will he move to Austin, TX, and make his fiancée's $6.7 million home their love nest? The 46-year-old 'Old Love Song' hitmaker, 46, got down on one knee and asked Scott, 51, to marry him—two months after making their romance red-carpet official. The lovebirds confirmed their engagement to People, telling the outlet that they are so 'happy and grateful' that they found each other. In May, the couple made their red carpet debut while attending the American Music Awards in Las Vegas. At the time, an insider close to Brown and Scott told the outlet that they were madly in love. 6 Zac Brown and jewelry designer Kendra Scott are engaged after the country singer proposed with a pink diamond ring. Getty Images 'They were set up by a mutual friend and are totally in love. They are head over heels and have become inseparable,' the source revealed. Just days after they hard-launched their relationship to the world, Scott—who shares sons Cade, 23, and Beck, 21, with ex-husband John Scott as well as son Grey, 11, with ex-husband Matt Davis—took to social media to gush about her new partner. 'What an unforgettable night at the @amas,' she wrote on Instagram that same day. 'We danced, we laughed, and seeing Zac honored with the inaugural Veteran's Voice Award was the highlight of it all.' 6 'They were set up by a mutual friend and are totally in love. They are head over heels and have become inseparable,' an insider told People. Getty Images for Spotify 6 In May, the couple made their red carpet debut while attending the American Music Awards in Las Vegas. Aurora / Brian Prahl / '@zacbrown, I'm so incredibly proud of you—of your heart, your service, and the man you are. You couldn't deserve this more,' she penned. They were then spotted at fellow country star Jamey Johnson's wedding together, leaving fans gushing over their adorable romance. Their engagement comes two years after Brown—who shares kids Justice, 18, Lucy, 17, Georgia, 16, Joni, 14, and Alexander, 11, with ex-wife Shelly Brown—separated from Kelly Yazdi. 6 The engagement comes two years after Brown separated from Kelly Yazdi. Getty Images Yazdi and Brown announced their divorce in 2023, after just four months of marriage. 'We are in the process of divorce. Our mutual respect for one another remains. We wish each other the best and will always appreciate our time together. As we navigate this personal matter, we simply request privacy during this time,' they announced with a joint statement to Billboard at the time. Brown then filed an emergency temporary restraining order demanding that Yazdi remove an Instagram post that he claimed damaged his public image. Yazdi rebuked the lawsuit and shared a fierce social media post in response. 6 Brown listed his lakeside home in Georgia for $3.25 million amid his divorce. REUTERS 'No one—not even Zac Brown with all of his money, power, celebrity, and lawyers, may silence my right to freely express myself through art or, although I have to date declined to do so publicly, to speak about the circumstances of our pending divorce,' she said in a video shared to TikTok on May 19. Amid his divorce battle, Brown listed his sprawling lakeside home in Georgia for $3.25 million, after splashing out $1.8 million for it in 2020. The home is located in a gated community and boasts 9,448 square feet of living space, including seven bedrooms and five bathrooms. 6 Scott's 16,149 square feet home, built in 2016, has eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms with a resort-style pool and greenery. The home comes with a resort-style pool and lots of lush greenery—offering the newly engaged couple peak privacy. Google Maps 'The kitchen overlooks an open-concept vaulted living room and a fireside breakfast room flowing to a screened porch with lake views,' the listing read. After he offloaded the home, Brown, who grew up in Cumming, GA, which is near his former property, remained in Georgia. However, things might change now that the country singer is engaged to Scott. Brown might even opt to move into Scott's $6.7 million Austin dwelling. The jewelry designer's abode, which was built in 2016, boasts eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms in 16,149 square feet of living space. The home comes with a resort-style pool and lots of lush greenery—offering the newly engaged couple peak privacy.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
This seemingly harmless clue is a telltale sign your partner is cheating, private investigator says
When it comes to infidelity in relationships — cheating partners are getting sneakier and sneakier. Oftentimes, suspicious partners will look through a person's text messages, emails or other messaging systems to catch them in the act. In doing so, private investigator Paul Jones from ARF Private Investigators shared with The Sun specific clues to be on the lookout for. Advertisement Innocent-looking emojis can reveal if a partner is cheating. Getty Images/iStockphoto If you're tempted to sneakily read through your partner's conversations on messaging apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat — popular options for cheaters — random, innocent-looking emojis could be a dead giveaway that your partner isn't being faithful. If you come across messages specifically with the croissant or padlock emojis in them — you might be in for a rude awakening. Advertisement 'On the surface, it might look innocent, but there's usually a deeper meaning,' he told the outlet. 'We've had people using a croissant emoji as a way of saying 'meet me for breakfast', or the letter emoji as a subtle 'text me when you're free.'' Before you panic, an occasional use of these emojis might not mean much — but if the majority of messages include them, you most likely have a cheater on your hands. 'Used once or twice they don't mean much,' Jones told The Sun. Advertisement 'But when you see them appearing regularly in chats with the same person, especially late at night, they start to mean something more.' If something feels off — it's best to confront your significant other about your suspicions. 'On the surface, it might look innocent, but there's usually a deeper meaning,' Jones told the outlet. Getty Images/iStockphoto Getting cheated on is a devastating experience and psychotherapist and sex therapist of 45 years, Esther Perel, shared the one reason behind why many people do it. Advertisement While sometimes people stray from relationships because of… 'rejection, betrayal, disconnection, or alienation. Loneliness is a big one. Other times, the reasons are internal and have little to do with the relationship itself,' she told the Telegraph. But she believes the main reason behind infidelity is 'deadness' in a relationship — which is when a partner feels like the other person no longer cares about them. As a result, the person feeling this way will look elsewhere to feel 'alive' again. 'It means exploration, discovery, active engagement with the unknown, and being alive. It's a good entry point,' Perel said. To avoid this, Perel advises couples to show curiosity about one another and ask questions — even if you think you know your significant other well and have been with them for years. 'Do you know how many people go out with friends, see their partner talking about a movie or band or experience, and then in the car or on the train, they ask, 'Who is picking up Johnny tomorrow after school?' or 'Did you get the groceries?' From there, not wanting to have sex or feeling distant isn't far behind.' People's interests, needs and wants often change in a relationship, since people evolve and grow over time. As a result, Perel said to never stop exploring one another as individuals. 'It's about giving your partner the chance to see you and themselves in a new light,' she said.
