[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Arianne Zucker has launched a troubling sexual harassment lawsuit against the production company behind Days of our Lives.
The soap opera actress, who was on the TV drama from 1998 up until January of this year, has filed a suit against Corday Productions and co-executive producers Ken Corday and Albert Alarr for what sounds like some pretty horrendous treatment — including what she alleges to be discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination.
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In the lawsuit, which has been obtained by multiple outlets, she claimed to be the victim of “sexually harassing comments and nonconsensual physical touching of a sexual nature,” during her 26-year run on the soap. Specifically, she took aim at Albert, a recurring director on the show:
“From the onset of Alarr’s employment, he repeatedly subjected [Arianne] and other employees to severe and pervasive harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment, based upon their female gender. Namely, on a continuous basis, and in furtherance of his intent to harass and discriminate against Plaintiff based upon her gender, Alarr subjected Plaintiff to sexually harassing comments and nonconsensual physical touching of a sexual nature.”
Per the complaint, “Alarr would put his hands on [Arianne’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 [Arianne] extremely uncomfortable and violated.”
WTF!!!
Arianne also alleged that Albert enjoyed shooting aggressive sex scenes, and would frequently shout out inappropriate directions to her, like, “f**k him like you were younger!” If true, REALLY messed up!! She also alleged that Albert and Ken, as well as the production company at large, “treated female employees [more] disproportionately than male employees.” She claimed:
“Female hair and makeup employees and female actresses were often berated and given tasks that were purposefully impossible to perform within the given time frame. Alarr often yelled at female employees, in the presence of Plaintiff, bringing them to tears. Alarr did not yell or berate the male employees. A female actress complained to Alarr that she was morally uncomfortable about a certain scene, and was subsequently fired by Corday and Ken Corday.”
According to the complaint, Arianne first went to Corday in March 2023, but was referred to Sony‘s Human Resource Department. There, an investigation was launched with 30 witnesses (!!!) backing it. Arianne said that after that, her pay was reduced and her travel budget was completely cut as a form of retaliation. And then shortly after that, Albert was fired — after news of the investigation went public.
Her contract with the production company ended last month, and she says Corday refused to renegotiate her salary before she was allegedly “terminated from her employment.” However, a spokesperson for DOOL told Us Weekly on Tuesday that “Corday Productions offered to renew Ms. Zucker’s contract including offering her a pay increase. Rejecting Ms. Zucker’s counteroffer does not constitute retaliation.”
Damn! This is wild stuff! Let us know what you think about it in the comments!
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
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