Actress Arianne Zucker is suing former Days of Our Lives producers Albert Alarr and Ken Corday, and the show’s production company for alleged sexual harassment.
Days of Our Lives star Arianne Zucker is suing the production company behind the hit soap opera, Corday Production Inc., the show’s former executive producer, Albert Alarr, and its executive producer, Ken Corday, claiming Alarr sexually harassed her and other female employees on the show, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The actress claims Alarr subjected her to nonconsensual sexual touching and remarks that she found sexually harassing during his employment on the show. Zucker alleges that Alarr would oftentimes pull her close to his chest as he made sexual moans.
Zucker also claims that Alarr would make sexually suggestive comments while filming.
The actress cites an example in which the producer allegedly told her costars filming sex scenes with her that he would “love to switch positions” with them. She adds that Alarr made it very obvious that he enjoyed aggressive sex scenes while working on the soap opera.
Additionally, Zucker alleges Alarr’s behavior was well-known to other producers, and that Corday Production Inc. had received complaints from multiple women over the years, but did nothing.
Zucker adds that she met with the HR department for Sony — the co-producer of Days of Our Lives — several times between March 2023 and June 2023, during which she says Alarr continued working on the show, making her feel “violated and intimidated.”
Alarr was eventually fired in August, which the actress claims was a move to “save face,” as the sexual harassment allegations had gone public.
Zucker goes on to claim that she herself was then essentially fired from the show last month, when her old contract expired and Corday Productions wouldn’t negotiate in “good faith.” She says she tried to negotiate with the company in October, but they had only given her a “take it or leave it” offer.
Alarr’s attorney, Robert M. Barta, told TMZ that Zucker’s claims are “baseless allegations” that “were examined in a detailed and entirely independent investigation that lasted for two months.”
“Dozens of individuals cooperated and every claim was thoroughly looked into,” Barta continued. “At the end of that process, the decision was made that Albert should continue in his role as Co-Executive Producer of Days of Our Lives.”
“As Ms. Zucker’s own lawsuit all but admits, at a time of industry-wide cutbacks, she was aggressively seeking a significant personal pay increase and additional influence on the show,” Barta added. “Having failed in those attempts, she is now – again – trying to exploit vile stereotypes to denigrate and demean a Black man who was in a position of power.”
A Corday Productions spokesperson told TMZ that Zucker’s allegations are “without merit,” adding that the production company offered to renew her contract “including offering her a pay increase,” and that the act of rejecting Zucker’s counteroffer “does not constitute retaliation.”
“Complaints about Mr. Alarr’s on-set behavior were promptly investigated,” the spokesperson added. “Corday Productions fully cooperated with the impartial investigation and subsequently terminated Mr. Alarr.”
Zucker is suing for harassment, discrimination, retaliation, negligent hiring and supervision, and wrongful termination. The actress is reportedly seeking unspecified damages.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X/Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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