Long-time director, producer, and, most recently, executive producer Albert Alarr was fired from Days of Our Lives following a misconduct investigation.
The complaints said Alarr was known for making staffers feel “uncomfortable and humiliated.”
Former cast member Lisa Rina said that after her last visit to the Days spinoff, Beyond Salem, “I couldn’t believe the work environment. It was disgusting. I was shocked.”
The investigation took nine weeks, and originally Alarr was going to keep his job but be reprimanded and sent right back to work. But cast and crew said they’d had enough, as over 25 of them signed a petition demanding that Alarr be determined.
Our TV Fanatics and avid Days of Our Lives fans, Jack Ori, Laura Nowak, and Christine Orlando, are here to break down what happened and how it may have affected what we’ve seen on screen and will see in the future.
Have you read some of the stories and allegations against Days’ former executive producer Albert Alarr?
Laura: Oh yes. I was horrified for the cast.
Jack: Yes, I read several of the articles. The allegations were really disturbing.
Christine: I was really shocked by what I read.
Which was most surprising? That this behavior went on behind the scenes? That it was allowed to continue for so long? Or that they weren’t going to fire him until staff members signed a petition and production was stopped?
Jack: Sadly, none of it surprises me because we’ve seen over and over that little is done about this type of misconduct in various situations. I would have to say it was surprising that the staff was able to put the pressure on the production. I’m glad they were able to do that.
Christine: I hate that this went on for so many years and clearly escalated once Alarr moved up to executive producer. I had always heard that Days felt like family behind the scenes. Well, this sounds like a pretty dysfunctional family.
Jack: Yes, I agree. I wish this had been stopped before he was promoted in the first place.
Laura: I’m not sure it surprises me either since sexual harassment does occur often. I am shocked that it took over two months until he was fired, and I’m saddened the cast had to deal with it for so long.
Christine: If even half of what was alleged was true, it’s really appalling that the powers that be were going to send him back to continue to lead this production with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist.
Has anyone seen the actual petition, and exactly who signed it?
Jack: No, I haven’t. I think the media has been pretty good about trying to protect the identity of victims unless they want to come forward throughout this.
Laura: I‘m saddened by the fact that so many cast members, at least six, were fired in the spring, probably during this toxic mess.
Christine: And this went on for a long time. Farah Gafond (who played Mimi) said, “These were my experiences too. It wasn’t until I switched shows that I realized not every set was like that.” And Mimi hasn’t been on the show in years!
Jack: I got the sense from several of the articles and from things I’ve read before that there’s a disconnect between what happens on set and what people in charge know is going on.
And yes. I remember at the time wondering why there seemed to be a mass exodus.
This should definitely not have gone on for over 20 years, and it makes you wonder how many people left over the years did so because of the toxicity on set.
Laura: That saddened me hearing Farah’s experience since it was so long ago.
Christine: It sounds like once Worthe Real Estate took over and moved production, HR was no longer on site, and most issues went through Alarr, which would basically give him free rein to do whatever he wanted without consequence.
Jack: Yes, there’s a definite problem when the person in charge of HR complaints is the same person who is the object of complaints.
Can we speculate on who was fired and who left to get away from this toxic environment? How many good actors/characters did we lose? How many storylines stalled?
Jack: I remember at the time Ava was written out, it felt VERY abrupt, like one minute she was in the hospital, and the next she was in Bayview, never to be seen again (until now).
Laura: Martha Madison and Brandon Beemer. Camilla Bonus, Nadia Bjorn. I’m unsure about the last two. I heard at least six left.
I hate losing Shelle again, and I feel losing Stabi right after they get remarried will also be abrupt.
Christine: I was so excited to see Paul and Andrew, but they’ve disappeared off the canvas once again.
Or the new actor who played Joey. It felt like the entire Johnson family was going to be in Salem, and then Joey just disappeared, and we were told he went back to Seattle.
I wonder if any of these actors will look to come back now that Alarr is gone.
Laura: Yes, about Joey. I think I heard they put Lucas Adams (Tripp) back to recurring too, but that might have changed again.
Jack: I got the sense that Camilla Banus leaving is because she’s burnt out from working long hours, though I’m sure this situation didn’t help. I read an interview where she was asked about inserting something after the fact. I forget what, and she said something like, “That would mean even more time away from our families.”
Laura: I read in one interview Camilla was willing to do fewer hours, but they wouldn’t negotiate with her. I personally think they should have since they’re losing lots of younger couples.
Jack: They seem to not want anyone who doesn’t want to be full-time. That’s why they killed off Abigail as well.
And yes, Lucas Adams keeps going back and forth between recurring and on-contract.
Christine: I feel like they just can’t get the right story for Tripp. Lucas Adams is a talent, so it would be nice if they figured out what to do with his character. Unfortunately, I don’t think a romance with Wendy is it.
Jack: Yeah, Tripp’s story seems to mostly be being stuck in boring triangles.
Jack: I wish they would do a story with Tripp having something to do with the hospital (not the stupid way they handled that Snyder story, though).
Laura: I wish they would have shown both Tripp or Stephanie with Stayla instead of their love triangles. We need quality family scenes.
Jack: And Tripp and Steve’s scenes are great, but Stephanie should be part of them, and this love triangle with Alex and Chad is AWFUL.
Christine: I wonder if either Abigail’s departure was influenced by this. Or Sarah’s decision to leave for months at a time.
Jack: I’m pretty sure Linsey Godfrey was back and forth because of this situation.
Laura: I suspect that about Linsey, too.
Christine: I got that feeling, too. I think she mentioned leaving for the good of her mental health, and this would fit that bill.
Jack: I also wonder about Lindsey Arnold (Allie). She left as soon as her contract was up, and Allie’s departure was also pretty abrupt.
Christine: Yes. Especially if you are a young actor or you feel like you have other options, I can’t imagine sticking around for that kind of behavior.
Then we have the actors who have been on the show for decades and clearly had to deal with Alarr on a regular basis.
Laura: I do wonder if any of these actors will consider returning now that he’s gone.
Christine: I’ve heard rumors of Alarr being particularly horrible to Judi Evans and Arianne Zucker.
Laura: I suspected that with Ari’s statements, and she’s been there a long time.
Jack: I’ve heard the same rumors, and I saw people saying yesterday that a lot of fans were tweeting support of Judi Evans after her scenes aired yesterday.
And Arianne Zucker has been very vocal on social media about thanking people for their support since the allegations surfaced.
Laura: Yes, there was a tweet blast for Judi yesterday. It was very sweet.
Alarr denies the allegations and claims that his demise stemmed “from the animus of just two individuals.” Any ideas of whom he’s talking about?
Jack: I’m guessing that 1) it’s not, and 2) he probably means Arianne Zucker and maybe Judi Evans (or maybe Lisa Rinna because she also said that she was disgusted when she came back for the first Beyond Salem to see this was still going on).
Christine: Here’s part of his statement:
“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.”
On the flip side, Deadline says they’ve spoken to at least a dozen current or former staff and cast members who back up the allegations.
Laura: Well, there was Raven’s video, where she detailed how unfair he was to her when she wanted to take her lunch home, too, and he taunted her, asking if they didn’t pay her enough too.
Jack: I didn’t even see that, Laura! Ugh.
Laura: It was on Twitter. I felt so bad for her.
Christine: I wish we’d hear from some of the veterans — Deidre Hall, Drake Hogestyn, Suzanne Rogers, Lauren Koslow, Josh Taylor, etc.
I know everyone is concerned about losing their jobs, so I won’t blame anyone for not coming forward, but I know it would carry a lot of weight to hear from them.
Laura: Multiple people came forward. I saw Farah’s statement. Peter Reckell gave a statement about how things were while filming during his last run. He’s the only vet I saw speak.
Jack: Yeah, I saw Peter’s statement but no other vets either.
Laura: Well, besides Ari. After 25 years there, she’s a vet in a different way.
Jack: Yes, that’s true, Laura.
Christine: Yes, Arianne Zucker is certainly a vet at this point too.
But Peter’s statement seemed vague to me. He didn’t really confirm anything.
“We have learned disturbing news about the environment at Days of Our Lives,” tweeted Reckell, who has periodically recurred as the character Bo Brady on the show since its launch. “It’s shocking to all who care deeply about the show, its 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.”
I was hoping to hear something from Kristian Alfonso since she’s no longer a Days regular.
Jack: Me too, mainly because I wonder if this situation contributed to her decision to wash her hands of Days.
Christine: Exactly. I wish we had more information about how this affected the show and storylines.
Laura: I guess that statement is vague. I would have liked to hear from the DHs (Deidre Hall and Drake Hogetyn) as they often are the spokespeople of Days now. I am curious about Kristian, too.
Did Alarr have any control over changing the Bope storyline from what Ron originally wanted?
Christine: Obviously, we can’t blame Alarr for every actor who has left. Actors choose to leave a job for a variety of reasons, but it sounds like he may have been a contributing factor to losing some good actors and characters throughout the years.
Jack: Yeah, obviously, that’s not the only reason, but I imagine if there are other things people are unhappy about, that having to deal with him at work is yet one more reason to leave.
Christine: That Corday let this kind of thing continue is disturbing. Everything I’d read and seen made it sound like making Days a positive place to work with a family atmosphere was important to him. And he couldn’t have been that clueless for that long.
Laura: That’s what I heard too. I pray things get better now.
Jack: Yeah, I hope so too. It does seem odd and disturbing that he didn’t take action earlier.
Christine: And I’ve read that the investigation was done via video conferences. One with cast and another with crew, but Alarr was a part of both, which is absurd.
How many people will take the chance of speaking up with their boss staring at them, knowing that the odds of anything positive happening are slim?
And considering the original plan was to send Alarr back to run the show, it’s not a far jump to say that there would have been retribution for anyone who went against him.
Jack: Yeah, that’s completely ridiculous and not the right way to investigate something like this.
Christine: You’d think that by this point, there would be better HR procedures in place, but this missed the mark by a mile. Hopefully, they’ll do a lot better moving forward.
Jack: Yes, I hope so!
If you could bring back one actor who chose to leave over the last few years, who would you choose?
Laura: I’d bring back Bo and Hope to finish out their story. Lacking that, I’d bring back Lucas. Kate needs one of her kids.
Jack: Gosh, there are so many. I don’t know that his leaving had anything to do with this, but I am still bitter about the way they wrote Casey Moss (JJ) out without any warning whatsoever.
And I agree Laura, Bope, and Lucas are also high on my list.
Christine: Yeah. I didn’t hate the most recent Bo and Hope storyline, mostly because it was just great to see Bo back, but it felt like they really let fans down.
Laura: There are so many I’d like back. I really want Mathew Ashford and Missy Reeves back as Jack and Jennifer, but that’s a pipe dream.
Christine: And I like Lucas, but I’m not sure where he fits in with Sami and Allie both gone.
I was a huge Jack and Jennifer fan, but it felt like they lost their spark over the last few years. So I don’t miss them as much as I thought I would.
Jack: After getting that little taste of Eve, I was sad it was a one-shot.
Christine: Yes, having Eve back just to validate Harris’ history in Salem felt like a waste.
I’d love Philip back, but with a much better story than he had last time around. (And played by Jay Kenneth Johnson, if possible.)
Jack: I actually like John-Paul Lavoisier better, so I’m glad he’s coming back as Philip, but I hope it’s a decent story and not more stupidity.
Laura: I don’t dislike John-Paul Lavoisier as Philip, either.
Christine: JPL wasn’t a favorite of mine, but then again, they had him in a bad storyline with Belle. But since John Aniston has passed away, Phillip has to be back for Victor’s funeral. Anything else is unacceptable to me.
Jack: Exactly; if they left him out of the funeral, I would be furious.
Christine: I just wish it was Jay Kenneth Johnson playing him because he has the history and much better chemistry with Kate, and he had the most scenes with John Aniston.
Laura: I think Philip is returning for the funeral and to exit with Chloe.
And we kind of need Abby or JJ if we bring back Jack and Jennifer. They also need a family unit.
Jack: I’m afraid they’re going to write Belle out by having her have another affair with Philip and then leaving town.
Christine: Oh, I hope you’re wrong. If Belle has to leave, let her and Shawn head off together to see Claire.
Laura: I suspect if Shawn leaves too, they’ll just go to Africa to see Claire, etc.
Jack: I’d prefer that too.
Christine: Even if Shawn stays, they can have him return but say that Belle is back in Hong Kong working or she’s with Claire in Africa. They can pull that separation off for months without an issue.
Jack: I’d like Theo to stay in town for more than a few days and bring JJ back with him. I also don’t like that there’s always an excuse for Claire staying in Africa whenever Belle and Shawn come to Salem.
Christine: JJ, Theo, and Claire could all have interconnecting stories now that they’ve supposedly spent so much time together off-screen.
Laura: I’d really like JJ, Theo, and Claire to return too, especially since Olivia Rose Keegan’s CW show was canceled. I was hopeful she’d return to Days.
Maybe Olivia will consider returning now that Alarr is gone. Who knows? Jack: I’d be fine with either Claire returning. I just want her to come back.
Christine: I miss Abigail, and I’d take her as either actress, but I don’t see that happening. Although on Days, no one is ever really dead. And it would make Stephanie and Chad far more interesting.
Jack: Yeah, I’d rather Abigail come back than any more of this stupidity with Alex.
Laura: Good point. They need Abby to return and break up the wedding like her dad did when Jen was due to marry Frankie.
Days loves history. That would be fun!
Jack: That would be great!
Christine: It would make for good soapy drama. Chad would be torn, but he’d eventually go back to Abigail, the love of his life and mother of his children.
And Stephanie would be crushed to lose her newfound family. But it would give her a little gravitas which she needs.
Jack: I think so too, as long as they don’t repeat that stupidity when Jack came back and Jennifer tried to date him and Daniel at the same time.
Christine: Oh, that Jack/Jennifer/Daniel storyline was horrible.
Laura: Unfortunately, Abby has already come back from the dead. But she’s like her daddy that way.
Christine: “But she’s like her daddy that way” – LOL! So true.
Does anyone know how long Linsey Godfrey (Sarah) is staying this time around?
Jack: I haven’t heard anything one way or the other about Linsey this time.
Laura: Me neither about Linsey. I just hear the Xarah fans complain about the lack of Sarah.
Christine: Yes, Sarah’s only been on about once a week since her return and is usually with Rex, which I find icky. The guy cheated on her twice!
Jack: I also thought it was silly when she said that if Rex pretends to be a father, “a DNA test will show otherwise.” How long has she lived in Salem?
I kind of agreed with Xander when he called Rex Dr. B, who cheated on Sarah, boring.
Christine: The only times I like Rex are when he’s with Kate. Other than playing her son, I’m not a fan.
Jack: I’m not, either. He comes across as borderline stalkerish whenever he tries to get back with Sarah, this time included.
Laura: He’s okay as a doctor when he was helping with the orchid storyline, but other than that, not so much.
Christine: Yes!!! He’s way too clingy. And he’s already calling it “our baby,” which I find disturbing.
Jack: I’d also like them to let Johnny and Chanel be together and stop sticking him in triangles.
Laura: Agreed, Jack.
Christine: YES!!! Johnny and Chanel have wonderful chemistry. They’re sweet, and they only broke up because of the devil storyline. Plus, they’re better friends now than they were then, which would make their relationship even stronger.
Jack: Exactly, and there’s no reason for Chanel to even consider Talia instead.
Laura: They are so cute together and always stand by each other. I’m rooting for Johnny and Chanel.
Christine: Talia’s a mess. I don’t understand why she’s still around other than to be yet another obstacle for Johnny and Chanel.
Jack: Yep, and Johnny keeps being bounced from triangle to triangle. What is the point of all that?
Christine: Well, hopefully, some of the things on our wishlists will be granted.
And it will be interesting to see if, with Alarr gone, we’ll have more actors coming back to Salem than leaving.
Stay tuned.
Remember to check out our Days of Our Lives review and round tables every week here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.