Days of Our Lives executive producer Albert Alarr has been fired from Peacock's daytime drama, following an internal investigation into allegations of abuse and misconduct.
"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," Corday Productions head Ken Corday said in a statement late Friday.
"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."
Alarr issued his own statement in response to the decision that ended his 20-year tenure at the soap opera.
"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," Alarr said.
"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."
Production on the show has been shut down since mid-July as the cast and crew complained publicly about Corday Productions' decision to issue Alarr a written warning to clean up his act instead of firing him outright, following the conclusion of Sony Pictures Television's investigation.
"Many of us have either been physically or verbally violated by him, including witnessing those objectionable and offensive actions," the Days of Our Lives troupe said in a petition, demanding Alarr's ouster.