Days of Our Lives Fires Co-EP Albert Alarr in Wake of Misconduct Firestorm

Michael Ausiello and Andy Swift
·2 min read
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Days of Our Lives has parted ways Albert Alarr, 10 days after misconduct allegations against the soaps’s longtime co-executive producer surfaced.

“Effective immediately,” Corday Productions president and Days EP Ken Corday announced in a late Friday note to cast and crew, “Janet Drucker will be elevated to co-executive producer of Days of Our Lives, replacing Albert Alarr, who will be exiting his role.”

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On July 25, Deadline reported that Alarr had been the subject of a nine-week internal investigation amid complaints that he had been “abusive” to staffers (cast members included), making them “feel uncomfortable and humiliated.” Alarr reportedly received a written warning and was asked to undergo training. However, he retained his positions as co-EP and director, “sparking outrage among cast and crew,” per Deadline.

Amid the outcry, Days suspended production for at least one week reportedly to “allow the entities involved” to “examine the situation before it further escalates.”

“Moving forward, we will be implementing additional HR protocols, including an increased HR presence as well as channels for reporting any concerns,” Corday said in his message to cast and crew. “It is imperative that we have a safe and inclusive workplace environment.”

Production on Days will resume, as planned, on Monday, Aug. 7, though the serial still has a pre-planned hiatus set for the week of August 14.

Corday Productions had been under pressure to drop Alarr. Lisa Rinna —  who in 2021 reprised her Days role of Billie Reed in the inaugural season of the Peacock offshoot Beyond Salem — corroborated some of the allegations last week, declaring in a since-deleted Instagram story, “I couldn’t believe the work environment. It was disgusting. I was shocked. I let many people know how I felt — Albert included.”

Peter Reckell, who has played Bo Brady on and off for four decades, took to Twitter on Wednesday to say, “We have learned disturbing news about the environment at Days of Our Lives. It’s shocking to all who care deeply about the show, it’s legacy, and the audience who love it so much. With quick resolution, I hope to see a return to its past values of family and respect for all.”

On Aug. 2, more than 25 Days actors submitted a petition calling for Alarr’s removal. “We want to make the most of this significant moment, not just for us in entertainment, but for our loyal viewers and the culture as a whole,” the petition read, according to Deadline. The site did not reveal the names of any actors involved, citing conditions of anonymity.

In the wake of his dismissal, Alarr gave the following statement to our sister site Deadline:

“It is hard to overstate how heartbreaking I find this situation.

These allegations were already examined in a detailed and entirely independent investigation that lasted for two months. Dozens of individuals cooperated and every claim was thoroughly looked into. At the end of that process, the decision was made that I should continue in my role as co-executive producer. Now, with no new facts presented, the studios have reversed course and caved to a cynical pressure campaign to force me out of my job.

It’s important to set the record straight. Every day, I worked with hundreds of people, the overwhelming majority of whom would disagree with recent mischaracterizations of me. I have been in this industry for decades, and not a single complaint has ever been made against me until now.

Many of the claims recently referenced in the media are simply false. Others have been taken so out of context or are so twisted that they are unrecognizable from the truth.

To be clear, this whole situation stems from the animus of just two individuals. Those individuals, at a time of industry-wide cutbacks and economic uncertainty, have been relentlessly angling for greater pay and increased influence on the show, and, it appears, believed that their best strategy to get it was to play on vile stereotypes in order to bring down a Black man in a position of power.

I will always be proud of being the only Black director/producer in daytime soap operas. And, while I am devastated by the manner of my departure, I will always treasure my years at Days of Our Lives and wish the wildly talented cast and crew the very best for the future.”

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