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On Days of our Lives on Monday, July 29, Arianne Zucker ended her run as Nicole Walker, a role she originated when she joined the soap back on February 27, 1998. Nicole started as a scheming vixen until she fell hard for Eric Brady (first Jensen Ackles, then Greg Vaughan). She didn't exactly don an angel's halo at any point, but the trials she went through softened her edge, especially when she finally realized her dream of becoming a mother, thanks to good pal Chloe offering to be a surrogate with the father being Nicole's former love, Daniel. Years later, Nicole was finally able to carry a baby to term when she gave birth to son Jude by Eric. Now the couple has gotten their happy ending, moving to Paris with their child.
This is not the first time Zucker has left the show. Her original run in Salem came to an end in 2006, but she returned two years later, staying from 2008 until October 2017. She made a brief appearance in 2018 and returned in 2019 full-time.
In February of 2024, Zucker filed a lawsuit against Cordway Productions Inc., which produces DAYS, as well as the show's former executive producer, Albert Alaar ( he was terminated in August of 2023 ), and Ken Corday, its executive producer. In her suit, Zucker alleges that Alarr sexually harassed her and other females employed at DAYS, and that Corday Productions did not respond adequately when those concerns were raised to HR. According to a TMZ story , she also claimed that in October 2023, with her contract set to expire in January 2024, the soap failed to negotiate a new deal “in good faith." The lawsuit is still ongoing, and Zucker is suing for, among other things, harassment, discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination.
Asked at that time to comment on Zucker’s lawsuit, a spokesperson for DAYS said in a statement: “The allegations in Ms. Zucker’s lawsuit are without merit. Corday Productions offered to renew Ms. Zucker’s contract including offering her a pay increase. Rejecting Ms. Zucker’s counteroffer does not constitute retaliation. Complaints about Mr. Alarr’s on-set behavior were promptly investigated. Corday Productions fully cooperated with the impartial investigation and subsequently terminated Mr. Alarr.”
At a February press conference regarding her lawsuit, Zucker read from a prepared statement and claimed that she had been “pushed out of my long-time career at Days Of Our Lives as a result of “standing up for myself and others."
When she left the show in 2017, Zucker told Soap Opera Digest that she was greatly moved by the strong reaction news of her departure generated among fans of the show. "I never realized that actually would affect so many people,” she marveled. “So I do feel proud of that and proud of the work. I feel very mushy and emotional, because I didn’t realize I could affect so many people.... That’s kind of what you hope for as an actress. You hope to affect people emotionally somehow and some way and find a way to connect with them through TV. I guess I did that for some people, and that’s pretty cool.”
Over the course of her time at DAYS, Zucker earned five Daytime Emmy nominations, three for Outstanding Lead Actress and two for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess in 2001.
Over the weekend, Zucker posted a video retrospective of her time on the show to her socials — as well as a good-bye and thank-you note to her fans. On Instagram, she wrote , "I loved my job. I loved my friends. I loved my co-workers, but most of all I love all of you. When someone says you are irreplaceable…maybe, but the heart of an individual is not. I gave all my heart and always will. I could never have had this job unless I had all of you. From the bottom of my heart and beyond, I can’t thank you enough for loving to hate Nicole and for loving her again as she changed in life with all of you. Thank you for being a part of my journey. This is an adventure that will live with me forever. Thank you for standing up for what is right. Thank you for standing by me. Thank you for acknowledging what this industry so easily takes advantage of. I will forever stand for you. I love you! #womensrights @istandwithari."
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