'RHOBH' star Lisa Rinna calls out work environment on 'Days of Our Lives' set amid Albert Alarr misconduct allegations: 'Karma is a b***h'
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' fame Lisa Rinna called the atmosphere on the set of 'Days of Our Lives' under executive producer Albert Alarr "disgusting" after he was accused of groping on the set of the Peacock soap drama. "Karma is a b***h," the actress said, amid allegations against the filmmaker for inappropriate behavior.
According to several sources, the conclusion of an internal inquiry into misbehavior charges against longstanding 'Days of Our Lives' co-executive producer Albert has caused astonishment, surprise, sadness, and outrage among cast and staff. 'Days of Our Lives' was created by Ted and Betty Corday and is produced by the firm they founded, Corday Productions, which is owned and controlled by their son, 'DoOL' executive producer Ken Corday. According to insiders, the nine-week probe began in March in response to a complaint about a recent wave of layoffs.
Albert faced misconduct investigation
According to people familiar with the situation, the complaint was filed by a female employee who claimed that the cuts had disproportionately harmed women and that they were not receiving equal compensation in the program. The gender disparity in recent employee cutbacks was especially noticeable among cast members. According to reports, seven women departed the ranks of contract players around the time of the layoffs. Five of them were fired or reduced to recurring roles, while two left on their own, owing in part to their experiences on the program. One male actor was let go.
Only one of the five 'DoOL' episodes that air each week is directed by a woman. The show's one full-time female director directs the Monday episodes with three full-time male directors, including Albert. Another female director is part of a rotating group of half-time directors for the fifth weekly slot.
The inquiry was launched by 'DoOL' distributor Sony Pictures Television after there were claims of misbehavior against Albert. According to numerous accounts, 30–40 people, mostly women, were interrogated. Corday Productions confirmed the probe in a statement. According to many who have seen Albert's behavior since he joined the famous serial years ago, problems have been there for years but have gotten worse since he was made co-executive producer in 2015. Albert has been abusive in his position of power, according to various 'DoOL' sources, degrading people and making them feel uncomfortable.
A source emphasized, while talking to Deadline, that a large number of women have departed the program in recent years, including actors who have portrayed prominent parts. Men have also been openly mistreated on site, with at least one male cast member being fired after Albert yelled at him in front of the cast and crew. According to a source close to the case, the verbal attack occurred after the actor had gotten his hair cut, for which he apologized despite the fact that he was not under contract at the time, meaning he was not required to keep his appearance the same.
Complaints were assessed as part of the investigation, with a substantial number of them including improper comments. Another colleague compared Albert's setting to a frat house, with college-boy-style sexualized statements about women normalized. There have also been complaints of physical contact such as groping against Albert, whose directing instructions included touching of actresses that is no longer regarded as proper. During the inquiry, witnesses verified these and other episodes involving suspected misbehavior by Albert, according to people close to the matter. Albert acknowledged at least some of the charges throughout the inquiry. Sony TV finished the report and turned it over to Corday Prods, the show's production firm.
'They didn’t do a thing until now'
Lisa, who last appeared as the character Billie Reed for a one-week stay in 2018, took to Instagram, posting a story to say, "Well, this took a long time… I couldn’t believe the work environment. It was disgusting, I was shocked. I let many people know, Albert included, and they didn’t do a thing until now, it seems."
Lisa characterized the working conditions on the set of 'DoOL' while under Albert's leadership as "disgusting." The reality TV star took to Instagram after it was discovered earlier in the day that Albert was under investigation for internal misconduct and was accused of "groping" actresses on the successful program.
Lisa first played Billie in 1992, but she departed the program in 1995. She returned to the role from 2002 to 2003, from 2012 to 2013, and for a few episodes in February 2018. The actress last appeared as her fiery alter-ego in 2021.
