08-17-2023
Following layoffs earlier this year, a female employee at Corday Productions filed a complaint. Corday Productions produces the soap opera "Days of Our Lives." This woman alleged recent layoffs disproportionately impacted women, and the producer paid women less than men. At the time of the layoffs, seven female actors lost their contract positions, with just one male dismissal. The show employs just one female director to three male directors.
Sony Pictures Television, which distributes the show, handled the investigation, interviewing about 30-40 people. Albert Alarr became executive producer of “Days of Our Lives” in 2015, after which he escalated his abusive behavior. Alarr made women feel uncomfortable and humiliated. A significant number of women have left the show since Alarr's promotion, including some major characters. Employees report Alarr is abusive to some men as well. One staffer reportedly told Deadline that Alarr fostered a "frat house" atmosphere with "college boys-style sexualized remarks about women normalized as being par for the course." He purportedly gave inappropriate directions to actors making love on the show, such as "You're f*cking horny, man, you just want to f*ck her.” Some individuals also said Alarr groped them and directed inappropriate touching of female actresses. Alarr allegedly humiliated one actress during a love scene, telling her to "try and remember what it was like when you were young and vibrant." The woman told him to "F*ck off.” She was written off of the show months later. Deadline reported Alarr admitted to some of the allegations. Staffers told Deadline that there were no HR reps on the set, so employees felt there was no avenue for complaints. In fact, Alarr allegedly mocked HR conduct standards.
Following the investigation, Alarr received a written warning and had to undergo training. Current and former “Days” actors circulated a petition calling for Alarr to step down. Ultimately, Corday Productions terminated Alarr's employment. The production company also states it will increase the HR presence on set and channels available for complaints. A female producer will assume the executive producer position. Alarr issued a statement calling the allegations "mischaracterizations" and "false." He attributes the issues to two individuals impacted by budget cuts.