[1] Created by Sonia Blangiardo, it is a "soap-within-a-soap" which follows the backstage drama of the fictional soap opera Painted Dreams.

Kelley Menighan Hensley, Michael Lowry, Natalia Livingston, and Anthony Wilkinson were also nominated for Daytime Emmys in 2017 for their performances.

Blangiardo created Tainted Dreams after the cancellation of the long running daytime soap opera One Life to Live, where she was a producer.

[3][4] In January 2013, Cantin of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New Jersey was cast as Alessandra DiGiacomo, a role written with her in mind.

[3][4] Later cast additions in 2013 included Peck,[5] Zenk,[6] Aleksander,[7] Livingston,[8] Malloy,[9] Eakes,[10] and DePaiva, Kristen and Walker.