“Days of Our Lives” star Arianne Zucker has sued former co-executive producer Albert Alarr, accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of the long-running daytime show.
The complaint, filed Wednesday in California Superior Court, alleges that Alarr repeatedly subjected Zucker and other “Days” employees to “severe and pervasive harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment, because of their female gender.” He also accused defendants Corday Productions, which oversees the series, and its owner Ken Corday of retaliating.
In a statement shared with The Times, Zucker's attorney, Anahita Sedaghatfar, praised her client for speaking out about alleged misconduct she and other employees faced during the Alarr administration.
“[Zucker] “It was the voice of other women who were too scared to come forward,” Sedaghatfar said. “Instead of forgiving her bravery, Ms. Zucker alleges that Corday retaliated against her and, because she spoke out, she lost a job she dedicated herself to for two decades.”
Robert M. Barta, Alarr's attorney, denied what he called “baseless” allegations of misconduct against his client, which were the subject of an internal investigation last year. In a statement to the Times, Barta dismissed Zucker's lawsuit as another attempt to extort his client for personal gain.
“Having failed in those attempts, he is now, once again, attempting to exploit vile stereotypes to denigrate and degrade a black man who was in a position of power,” Barta said.
And he added: “Well, that's enough. Every day for decades, Albert worked with hundreds of people who can (and will) testify to the falsity of Ms. Zucker's mischaracterizations of him. We love the opportunity to share the truth and put an end to his offensive claims once and for all.”
A representative for Corday did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment.
At the center of Zucker's lawsuit are several incidents in which Alarr allegedly touched the Daytime Emmy nominee without her consent and made “sexually charged” comments during production. Zucker has played Nicole Walker on the soap since 1998. Alarr started on “Days of Our Lives” as a production assistant in 2005 and was promoted to co-executive producer in 2015.
Zucker, who was the subject of former President Donald Trump's lewd comments revealed in 2016, alleged that Alarr made inappropriate comments while she and her co-stars were working on sex scenes for the show. Speaking to Zucker's co-stars, Alarr allegedly said “you really just want to fuck her” and “believe me, I would love to switch positions with you.”
“Alarr made it very clear that he enjoyed aggressive sex and threesome scenes,” the lawsuit says.
Zucker also alleged that Alarr touched her without her consent, such as hugging her tightly “pushing her breasts against his chest on purpose,” while moaning sexually. She accused him of putting his hands on her waist with “his thumbs placed right above her vagina” while he “smiled in a sexual manner.” According to the complaint, Alarr had allegedly commented on HR's lack of presence on set “like a mantra” following inappropriate comments from him.
The lawsuit says Zucker observed Alarr allegedly treating other employees in a similar inappropriate manner. Alarr allegedly hugged them tightly while he “moaned sexually” and invited them to his office.
The lawsuit also targeted Corday and his company for the way he directed “Days of Our Lives.” The actress alleged in her lawsuit that the series did not have an intimacy coach on set for sex scenes, that bosses discriminated against female employees and that the defendants did not provide “training or education on sexual harassment,” as required by California law.
Zucker, like other employees who spoke out, said she faced retaliation for complaining about her work environment and the harassment she allegedly faced. The actress said in March 2023 that she raised her concerns with Corday, who referred her to Corday's chief financial officer, Mike Russell, who allegedly then referred her to Sony Human Resources, which launched an investigation into her claims. .
While Sony was conducting its investigation, Zucker alleged that Corday took no steps to protect her from Alarr and that she experienced retaliation for escalating her complaint. The lawsuit alleges that Zucker took a pay cut and was no longer granted a travel stipend. He said that in June 2023 his character was written off from the series, after more than 20 years.
Zucker alleged that Corday and his company “refused” to share the findings of investigations into his complaints. Before his contract expired in January 2024, Zucker said Corday Productions offered in October 2023 to renew his contract, but allegedly did not negotiate with the actor's team for a higher salary. She claims it was retaliation for his human resources complaints.
After news of an investigation into Alarr's alleged misconduct broke in July 2023, he left “Days of Our Lives” in August. He was replaced by veteran “Days” producer Janet Drucker.
Zucker has requested a jury trial and is seeking an unspecified amount in damages, including payment for legal fees, unpaid wages, and mental and emotional anguish.
