Why Arianne Zucker sued 'Days of Our Lives' producers
Arianne Zucker, who played the character of Nicole Walker on the iconic American soap opera Days of Our Lives recently filed a lawsuit against the makers, Corday Productions and co-executive producers Ken Corday and Albert Alarr, accusing them of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Per Zucker, Alarr sexually harassed her with inappropriate comments and nonconsensual physical touching during her time on the show. The actor was associated with DOOL for 25 years before her character was written off in 2023.
Allar would 'touch her forcefully without consent during scene rehearsals'
Per the lawsuit, Allar "would pull Zucker close to his chest while making sexual noises" and "touch her forcefully without consent during scene rehearsals." "Alarr would put his hands on Zucker's waist, with his thumbs placed just above her vagina, and move her around, all the while smirking and grinning in a sexual manner, making Zucker extremely uncomfortable and violated," reported PEOPLE.
He made lewd comments while Zucker shot sex scenes
Alarr reportedly passed obscene comments. While directing her for a sex scene, he told her, "F*ck him like you were younger!" and also joked, "Good thing there is no HR here." At one point, he said, "Believe me, I'd love to switch positions with you," during a sex scene. Zucker also claimed that female employees were "berated" and that they often "felt abused, and that the workplace was toxic." There was reportedly no intimacy coach on set.
Retaliation after reporting harassment; Corday's involvement in the case
In March 2023, Zucker reported her concerns to Corday, head of Corday Productions, who directed her to Sony's Human Resource Department along with other women who had shared similar experiences. After an investigation involving 30 witnesses, Zucker claims her pay was reduced and her travel budget eliminated as retaliation for speaking out. In June, she was written off the show, leaving her future on DOOL uncertain. In August, Alarr exited DOOL, but per Zucker, that was only to "save face."
This is how Alarr defended himself after show exit
Following his exit, Alarr had previously told PEOPLE, "It is hard to overstate how heartbreaking I find this situation." "It is 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."
Alarr's attorney has denied the allegations; plan to contest claims
Alarr's attorney, Robert M Barta, has refuted Zucker's allegations, stating they plan to contest the claims in court. "Enough is enough. Every day for decades, Albert worked with hundreds of people who can - and will - testify about the falsity of Ms. Zucker's mischaracterizations of him." "We relish having a chance to share the truth and putting an end to her offensive claims once and for all," he said.
Zucker has sought damages and workplace changes
Zucker is seeking unspecified damages and "continues to suffer from extreme emotional distress." Her attorney, Anahita Sedaghatfar, told PEOPLE, "Ms. Zucker did what we tell all women who experience harassment to do, and that is to report it. [She] did just that and was the voice for other women who were too scared to come forward." "We'll seek to ensure that Corday provides sexual harassment training to its employees and hires an intimacy coordinator for sex scenes."
