It's been nearly nine years since Rinna made her last appearance on Days of our Lives, but that's not the last time that fans caught a glimpse of Billie. Julie Pinson was the last actress to step into Billie's shoes, playing the role from 2004 through 2008.

So why bring Billie back into the fold now? According to the Huffington Post, the NBC soap wants to seize on Rinna's popularity outside of daytime to, hopefully, lure in viewers.

"Lisa is doing a James Franco," a source told the Huffington Post, referencing Franco's ongoing special guest star role on General Hospital. "There is something full circle about bringing her back to the role that made her famous and now harnessing her celebrity to secure the future of the show."

The site's report goes on to say that Rinna's return is being kept very hush-hush, and that scripts involving Rinna's on-screen alter ego are only being given to the performers that will appear in scenes opposite the actress. The Huffington Post hints that Rinna is expected to tape her first episodes sometime in December.

Rinna debuted as Billie Reed in 1992 and remained with the show for three years. She returned for a short-term engagement from July 2002 to January 2003. Since leaving Days of our Lives, Rinna has gone on to find even more celebrity as a host of Red Carpet coverage at awards shows and as a contestant on several reality programs. Rinna was also an Emmy-nominated co-host of the soap-skewing talk show, Soap Talk.

NBC has not confirmed Rinna's return, however, several other media outlets have "confirmed" the news based on the Huffington Post report.