Patrika Darbo On Why ‘Emmy Debacle’ Cuts Deep

Patrika Darbo had her Daytime Emmy Award taken away after this year’s ceremony, but that’s not what has her mad.

While the veteran actress wasn’t thrilled that it happened to her, she has another reason to be upset about how the Academy handled what she calls the “Emmy Debacle.”

Darbo had won in the category of Guest Performer in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for her work on Amazon’s The Bay, but because it wasn’t her first appearance on the show, they decided that it disqualified her.

The Emmy was going to go to the next in line — Jennnifer Bassey for her work on Anacostia. But then they took hers away too after it was decided that she had a submission from more than one episode.

The Academy then decided that no Emmy Award would be presented in the category for this year. Now, this presents a problem that really upset Darbo, who already has a Primetime Emmy.

“My biggest complaint with everything is it should have been vetted, they should never have let it get this far but to get rid of the entire category hurt people.

“Basically, five actors who can never be nominated in this category again lost their opportunity, and for me, that’s unconscionable,” she said.

That’s because these actors can only be in the category if they haven’t been on the show before. It’s the reason she lost out on keeping her statuette — because she had appeared previously.

This was their one and only shot to be in this category and now it’s gone. The unfairness of it all really has Darbo upset.

“You have robbed these actors of the opportunity to get the Emmy, which is the most wonderful feeling. When you get that and to know your peers voted for you, it’s the most wonderful thing in the world,” she shared, choking back emotion. “And you have robbed those actors.”