Days Of Our Lives cast sign petition calling for removal of major producer

In some ways, the soap opera industry runs as a kind of parallel universe to the rest of TV and film production—maybe best exemplified by the fact that daytime soaps have been running steadily throughout the Hollywood double strike, powered by scripts penned by non-WGA writers, and performances delivered by actors running on a different contract than the one that’s the subject of the current SAG-AFTRA strike.

But some things, it turns out, hold depressingly constant even over in Soap World, as Deadline reports that 25 cast members on Days Of Our Lives—now in the midst of its 60th season on the air—have signed a petition calling for the ouster of producer and frequent series director Albert Alarr. Alarr, see, was recently the subject of an investigation from distributor Sony Pictures Television into his conduct on the show’s set, in which 30 to 40 people, mostly women, were interviewed about his behavior. Alarr was reportedly given a warning in the aftermath of the report, and told to attend training, but the petition alleges that very little has actually changed.

Per Deadline, the petition contains the assertion that, “Many of us feel — and will continue to feel — very uncomfortable and distraught should [Alarr] stay involved with the show. Many of us have either been physically or verbally violated by him, including witnessing those objectionable and offensive actions.” Production on Days has been shut down this week, with producers announcing an extended hiatus over the weekend.

Alarr, who regularly directs the Friday installment of the daily-running show, is the subject of a series of allegations, according to Deadline, including accusations of verbally abusing cast and crew members in front of the rest of the crew, and inserting himself physically into rehearsals for love scenes. “During love scenes,” one unnamed source said, “[Alarr] has been inserting himself into them like, ‘Let me show you how to do it’, which, even in and of itself as this is awkward and uncomfortable.” He’s also quoted saying, “You’re fucking horny, man, you just want to fuck her” to an actor in the midst of filming a love scene; multiple people have quoted Alarr as responding to inappropriate moments by chuckling and remarking “A good thing there’s no HR.” He is accused of fostering a toxic workplace on the show’s set.

Days Of Our Lives has been running, with a few notable stopdowns, since 1965; Alarr has been with the show as a producer since 2011. The show recently moved to the streaming airwaves with Peacocks, while its 60th season was marked by serious budget cuts.