Paul Dailly
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There are changes at the wheel of NBC’s Days of Our Lives.
In the wake of misconduct allegations leveled against Albert Alarr and a petition from over 25 staffers on the show, the co-EP has been fired, effective immediately.
Series producer Janet Drucker has been elevated to fill the void left by Alarr’s departure.
“Effective immediately, Janet Drucker will be elevated to co-executive producer of Days of Our Lives, replacing Albert Alarr, who will be exiting his role,” Ken Corday wrote in an email to staff, Deadline reports.
“Moving forward, we will be implementing additional HR protocols, including an increased HR presence as well as channels for reporting any concerns.”
“It is imperative that we have a safe and inclusive workplace environment.”
Deadline went public recently with the news that Alarr had been the subject of an internal investigation into his behavior on the set of the Peacock soap opera.
The investigation lasted nine weeks but reportedly didn’t lead to any meaningful change for the series.
According to the outlet, he received a written warning and was ordered to undergo training.
Alarr issued a scathing statement following his firing.
“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,” he says in a statement obtained by Deadline.
“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,” he said.
“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,” the statement continues.
“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.”
Production on the series had been shut down amid the firestorm but will resume on Monday.
Catch new episodes every weekday on Peacock.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.