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☆ Actors’ Strike Leaves Celebrity Podcasts in Grey Zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Reggie Ugwu | More About Reggie Ugwu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Actors who host podcasts were divided on how or whether to continue their programs this week, as the 8-day-old Hollywood actors’ strike reverberated through an adjacent industry that didn’t exist during the union’s last work stoppage 43 years ago. The official targets of the strike are film and television productions associated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a group that includes all of the major Hollywood studios and streamers like Netflix, Amazon and Apple. But messaging from the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, barring promotion of past or future work for the studios has left some members unsure of whether their podcasts are in violation of union policy. The actors hosting podcasts that recap the TV shows “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “One Tree Hill” and “Bones,” for example, canceled or did special episodes this week.

Persons: ” Organizations: Alliance, Television Producers, Hollywood, Netflix, SAG Locations: Philadelphia

☆ Are Influencers on Strike Too?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Madison Malone Kircher | More About Madison Malone Kircher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Many social media influencers have joined them. And many influencers work directly with movie studios and other Hollywood entities, who pay them to promote shows and movies, whether it’s on TikTok, YouTube or the red carpet. This week, SAG-AFTRA announced specific guidelines for influencers during the strike. Influencers are advised to “not accept any new work for promotion of struck companies or their content.” That means no TikToks about Barbenheimer or red carpet walks for “Meg 2: The Trench.”And SAG doesn’t care if influencers are being paid for those posts or not. Any posts about struck work are considered to be crossing the picket line.

Persons: AFTRA, “, Meg, Barbie ” Organizations: SAG, YouTube, influencers Locations: TikTok

☆ With Hollywood on Strike, a Bright Spot in New York’s Economy Goes Dark
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Stefanos Chen | More About Stefanos Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By day, Ryan Quinlan handles the desk lamps, sconces and chandeliers that appear in films and television shows. At night, he rents out props from his Brooklyn warehouse, like an Egyptian sarcophagus and a taxidermy leopard. It joined the screenwriters union, the Writers Guild of America, which has been on strike since May. “This shut down all of my streams of income,” Mr. Quinlan, 44, said. But it’s not just actors and writers who are out of work.

Persons: Ryan Quinlan, Mr, Quinlan, it’s Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, Writers Guild of America Locations: Brooklyn, New York, Los Angeles, United States

☆ The Message Is in the Merch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Jessica Roy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Neil Gaiman had worn some version of a black T-shirt nearly every day for the past 36 years. Then, on a balmy Tuesday in May, he decided to make an important wardrobe change. Across New York and Los Angeles, T-shirts advertising support for creative workers’ labor unions are nearly everywhere you look. When SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, decided on its own strike last week, the dispute took on new proportions. As the demonstrations head into a 13th week, a pressing need has arisen: clean T-shirts.

Persons: Neil Gaiman, I’m, ” Mr, Gaiman, “, ” Organizations: Guild of America, Hollywood, SAG Locations: New York, Los Angeles

CNN —Soccer players at the 2023 Women’s World Cup will on average earn just 25 cents for every dollar earned by men at their World Cup last year, a new CNN analysis found. In addition to prize money, FIFA committed to paying $42 million to the federations and players’ clubs for Women’s World Cup preparations. Havana Solaun (R) and Jamaica are appearing at their second ever Women's World Cup. But for the players, equal pay encompasses more than simply closing this gap to the salaries enjoyed by male footballers. June 2023 A record $110 million prize pot negotiated for the Women’s World Cup, at least $30,000 guaranteed for every player.

Persons: Gianni Infantino, Sam Kerr, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Bob Marley’s, Cedella, Havana Solaun, Brendon Thorne, hadn’t, Jamaica’s Chinyelu Asher, ”, ” Asher, Asher, Saeed Khan, Morgan, Rapinoe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Brad Smith, ” Jonas Baer, Hoffmann, FIFPRO’s, It’s, that’s, –, Infantino, Baer, “, ringfenced, Ali Riley, CNN’s Amanda Davies, Riley, “ It’s, ” Ali Riley, Catherine Ivill, Women’s Soccer Australia Heather Reid, ” Riley, England’s Lionesses, ” FIFPRO’s Baer, – Carli Lloyd, Hope, Becky Sauerbrunn –, ” Lloyd, — Jan, USWNT, Lloyd, ” Reid, ’ Organizations: CNN — Soccer, CNN, FIFA, New Zealand, Women’s, US, National, Australia, Havana, Getty, Jamaica Football Federation, ’, CNN Sport, Forbes, USSF, CONCACAF, Africa, of Nations, Olympic, –, Canada Soccer, teams, Women’s Soccer Australia, English Football Association, French Football Federation, Royal Belgium Football Association, FIFA’s, US Soccer, States Women’s National, Football Federation, USWNT, Soccer, Court, Central, Central District of, The New York Times, LA Times, Guardian, Reuters, “ Locations: Australia, New, New Zealand, Jamaica, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Havana, AFP, France, Infantino, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, United States, Qatar, country’s, Sweden, Spanish, England, Central District, Central District of California, Canadian, El, China

☆ Viral women’s soccer ad uses doctored footage to prove a point
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —One French company is using visual effects editing to promote the Women’s World Cup, putting out a now-viral video showing the French men’s soccer team playing at their best — until it is revealed that the footage is actually of the French women’s team. What first looks like Griezmann evading a defender dribbling down the field is actually a graphic overlay of Sakina Karchaoui, a professional player on the French women’s national team. The second half of the ad shows the original footage — with France’s top female soccer players owning the field. The ad was posted in June, ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place across Australia and New Zealand. Soccer players at the 2023 Women’s World Cup will on average earn just 25 cents for every dollar earned by men at their World Cup last year, a new CNN analysis found.

Persons: Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, Sakina, Marcel, ’, Gianni Infantino, Women’s Soccer Australia Heather Reid, Orange, ”, “, Craig Foster Organizations: New, New York CNN, French, Orange, French women’s, French women's, “, women’s, FIFA, CNN, Soccer, FIFPRO, Women’s Soccer Australia, CNN Sport, Football, Sport Locations: New York, Orange, Australia, New Zealand, Australian

There have been 195 ACL injuries across women soccer’s top leagues, according to the ACL Women Football Club. “It’s not a coincidence I think that you get Leah and Beth injured after the Euros last summer,” said Arsenal star Miedema. Miedema believes this was an issue that world soccer’s governing body FIFA must address. A British Journal of Sports Medicine study found women to be three to six times more likely to experience an ACL injury than men. European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, referenced to CNN the Women’s Health Expert Panel it established, which has a “high priority” researching ACL injuries.

Persons: Vivianne, –, Miedema, we’ve, It’s, ” Miedema, CNN’s Christina Macfarlane, – Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, Laura Wienroither, Canada’s Janine Beckie, Catarina Macario, France’s Delphine Cascarino, Ryan Pierse, ”, Pep, “, “ You’ll, Williamson –, “ It’s, Leah, Beth, “ They’ve, they’re, Leah Williamson, Clive Rose, Jonas Eidevall, Miedema’s Organizations: CNN, Arsenal, Women Football Club, United States Women’s National, League, English Premier League, FA, Champions League, England, ”, FIFA, of Sports Medicine, UEFA, Women’s, English Football Association, Super League, Barclays Women’s, Nottingham Trent University Locations: Netherlands, Man, Switzerland

☆ Actors’ Strike Won’t Halt 39 Independent Projects, Union Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Hollywood actors’ union said Tuesday that it had exempted 39 independent film and TV projects from its strike, including two movies from A24, the secretive New York company that has become a force at the Academy Awards. Talks between the union and the alliance for a new three-year contract broke down on Thursday, and tens of thousands of actors went on strike on Friday. The productions will become subject to the final deal between the union and the studio alliance. The 39 projects include “Mother Mary,” a melodrama co-financed by A24 and starring Anne Hathaway as a fictional musician and Michaela Coel (known for “I May Destroy You” on HBO) as a fashion designer. The second A24 project, “Death of a Unicorn,” stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, who is known for “Wednesday” on Netflix.

Persons: ’, AFTRA, Mary, ”, Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega Organizations: New, Academy, Alliance, Television Producers, SAG, HBO, Netflix Locations: New York

☆ Actors and Hollywood Studios ‘Remain Far Apart’ on Crucial Issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As tens of thousands of actors go into their fifth day of a strike versus the Hollywood studios, the two sides have shown no signs of returning to the bargaining table — and are even exchanging barbed messages that underscore how far apart they are. Late on Monday night, leadership of SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, sent out a 12-page memo to members laying out their demands and the studios’ counterproposals. They “remain far apart on the most critical issues that affect the very survival of our profession,” the note said. “A strike is not the outcome we wanted,” the alliance said. “For SAG-AFTRA to assert that we have not been responsive to the needs of its membership is disingenuous at best.”

Persons: “, ” Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, The Alliance, Television Producers

☆ In Hollywood’s Labor Tumult, Directors Stand Apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nicole Sperling | More About Nicole Sperling | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the Directors Guild of America agreed to a new three-year contract with the major Hollywood studios last month, the union hailed the agreement as “unprecedented” and “historic.”With screenwriters on strike and the actors’ union still in negotiations, the directors saw their deal as a first step on the way to labor peace in the entertainment industry. It included improvements in both wages and the amount of royalties that directors would receive from projects on streaming services, and it placed guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence. “The parameters of the deal are certainly going to help the other guilds in negotiations,” Christopher Nolan, the director of “Oppenheimer,” told The Hollywood Reporter. That did not happen. When the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, went on strike last week, the directors found themselves as outliers in Hollywood.

Persons: ” Christopher Nolan, “ Oppenheimer, ”, ’ Organizations: Guild of America, Hollywood, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers

☆ Hollywood Reporter: Tom Cruise negotiated with movie studios over AI before the actors strike began
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Before talks between the Hollywood actors’ union and major film and TV studios broke down, the SAG-AFTRA union enlisted Tom Cruise to lobby on behalf of its members, according to the Hollywood Reporter. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 03: Tom Cruise attends the Australian premiere of "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" on July 03, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) Lisa Maree Williams/Getty ImagesSAG-AFTRA did not respond to a request for comment on the report and a representative for Tom Cruise declined to comment. Hollywood’s actors joined with the 11,000 members of the Writer’s Guild of America that have been striking against the AMPTP since early May. Cruise himself was portrayed in a series of deepfakes created by a visual and AI effects artist on TikTok earlier this year.

Persons: Tom Cruise, Cruise, Lisa Maree Williams, AFTRA, “, ”, Fran Drescher Organizations: CNN, Hollywood, SAG, Getty, AFTRA, Alliance, Television Producers, Writer’s Guild of America Locations: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, Sydney, Australia

☆ This Barbie Is Now on Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( The Styles Desk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The actors’ strike has hit the brakes on the hot pink convertible that is the “Barbie” film’s press tour. That means the parade of neon fashion led by Ms. Robbie has probably come to an end. But several of the actress’s best looks took inspiration from Barbie’s clothing archive, including a black-and-white-striped swimsuit the doll wore when it was introduced in 1959, a prim skirt suit from the ’80s and a swirly minidress Barbie wore in the ’90s. Those outfits, seen here alongside the Barbie clothes that inspired them, struck the exact right balance between kitschy and chic. “It’s not subtle,” Ms. Robbie said in an interview with People, “but it’s very fun!”

Persons: ”, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Greta Gerwig’s, Robbie, Andrew Mukamal, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, prim, Barbie, Ms Organizations: SAG

☆ At N.Y.C. Police Union, Will the New Leader Be a Lot Like the Old One?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Chelsia Rose Marcius | More About Chelsia Rose Marcius | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Patrick Hendry, the new head of New York City’s police officers’ union, has much in common with his predecessor: Their mothers are from Ireland. They grew up in Queens, the sons of union men. And they believe a police union must defend officers, even those accused of wrongdoing. For nearly a quarter century, the booming voice of Mr. Lynch, who stepped down June 30, made the union a key player in New York politics. Now Mr. Hendry, 51, who is untested as a public figure, must decide whether he will deviate from that path.

Persons: Patrick Hendry, Hendry, Patrick J, Lynch, Rudolph W, Giuliani, Bill de Blasio, Donald J, Trump, watchdogs Organizations: Police Benevolent Association, Department Locations: York, Ireland, Queens, New York

☆ ‘Mission: Impossible’ for Tom Cruise: Meeting Hollywood Expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter on box office numbers. “This opening is roughly average for an action thriller at this point in its series,” Mr. Gross said about the ultraexpensive “Dead Reckoning Part One,” which received sensational reviews. Early last week, he made surprise appearances in movie theaters at preview screenings in cities like Toronto, Atlanta and Miami. The blistering promotional campaign for “Dead Reckoning Part One” will be Hollywood’s last until a consortium of studios can come to terms with SAG-AFTRA, as the powerful actors’ union is known.

Persons: ”, David A, Gross, Mr, Cruise, Denzel Washington, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx Organizations: SAG, Universal, Sony, Disney Locations: United States, Canada, Rome, London, Abu Dhabi, Seoul, Sydney, New York, Toronto, Atlanta, Miami

☆ In Hollywood, the Strikes Are Just Part of the Problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Existential hand-wringing has always been part of Hollywood’s personality. But the crisis in which the entertainment capital now finds itself is different. They joined 11,500 already striking screenwriters, who walked out in May over similar concerns, including the threat of artificial intelligence. Actors and writers had not been on strike at the same time since 1960. “Now it’s a walled-in vacuum.”

Persons: wringing, ’, ” Fran Drescher

Trouble in TinseltownIt’s happening: America’s $134 billion movie and TV industry has ground to a halt after the Hollywood actors’ union voted to strike, joining screenwriters and shutting down virtually all productions. The move reflects the growing aggressiveness of the American labor movement, which has been battling against Starbucks, Amazon, UPS and others. The actors’ union blasted studios for refusing to bend on key issues, including higher payouts from streaming titles and clear limits on the use of artificial intelligence. Shame on them!”The studios argue that the unions’ demands are unrealistic, given the challenges the entertainment industry faces, from streaming to fallout from the pandemic. “This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption,” Bob Iger, Disney’s C.E.O., said on CNBC yesterday.

Persons: ’, ” Fran Drescher, Bob Iger, Disney’s Organizations: Hollywood, Starbucks, SAG, CNBC Locations: Amazon, —

☆ Strike Prevents Actors From Promoting Films at Premieres or Festivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Nicole Sperling | More About Nicole Sperling | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It has already been a difficult year for movie theaters, with the North American box office down roughly 20 percent from last year. And that was when actors could promote their films. SAG-AFTRA officials convened conference calls with Hollywood’s top agencies and publicists this week to explain the strike rules for both the production and the promotion of coming projects. And on Thursday, after announcing the strike, the union released its rules for its membership. “When you don’t have any form of publicity, which is free to a certain extent, you have to try to make up that noise.

Persons: “ It’s, ” Terry Organizations: American, SAG, Con, ” Terry Press Locations: San Diego, Hollywood

Many of the actors’ demands mirror those of the writers, whose own strike had already brought many productions to a halt. Actors and screenwriters have not been on strike at the same time since 1960, when Marilyn Monroe was still near her peak. The first distress signal for the studios came in early June when roughly 65,000 members of the actors’ union — nearly 98 percent of voters — backed authorizing a strike. The actors’ walkout would provide additional support to the striking writers, who have been walking picket lines for more than 70 days. Read more about the writers’ strike.

Persons: Brooks Barnes, John Koblin, ’, Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lawrence, Constance Wu, Ben Stiller, ”, Fran Drescher, ” Ms, Drescher, “ Organizations: SAG, Disney, Universal, Sony, Paramount, Netflix, Apple, —, Alliance, Television Producers, Writers Guild of America Locations: California

The stage was different, and so was the tone. “The eyes of the world and particularly the eyes of labor are upon us,” Ms. Drescher said. What’s happening to us is happening across all fields of labor.”She shook her fists in indignation. “I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us!” she continued. Shame on them!”Ms. Drescher is the latest in a long line of familiar faces — Ronald Reagan, Patty Duke and Charlton Heston among them — to run SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents tens of thousands of screen actors.

Persons: Fran Drescher, ”, ” Ms, Drescher, “, Ms, — Ronald Reagan, Patty Duke, Charlton Heston Organizations: SAG Locations: Hollywood

Members of the Writers Guild of America walk a picket line outside of Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., in May. Like the striking writers, leaders of SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, have described their labor dispute in stark terms, calling the present moment “existential” for their members. But the core issues have been about compensation, as well as the use of artificial intelligence. The actors also have grave concerns about artificial intelligence, and how the technology could be used to replicate their performances using their previous work without their being compensated or consulted. Tara Kole, a lawyer with the entertainment law firm Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, which represents actors like Emma Watson and Ashley Judd, said in an interview that the potential use of artificial intelligence was “terrifying” to actors.

Persons: “, ” Duncan Crabtree, —, We’re, Mr, Tara Kole, Johnson Shapiro, Emma Watson, Ashley Judd, that’s, ” Ms, Kole, ” Mr, A.I, we’re, ” “, AFTRA Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Warner Bros ., SAG, Alliance, Television Producers Locations: Burbank , Calif, Ireland, Crabtree

☆ Hollywood Is Shutting Down
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The union representing more than 160,000 television and movie actors announced today that its members were going on strike after negotiations with the major Hollywood studios over a new contract collapsed. It is the first time in 63 years that both actors and screenwriters, who went on strike in May, have taken part in a walkout at the same time. “I don’t think Hollywood is ready for this,” my colleague Nicole Sperling, who covers entertainment, told me, noting that studio executives were caught off guard by the resolve of the actors. The actors’ union says it is trying to ensure living wages for its members and to protect them from having their likenesses used in productions they took no part in. The studios argue that this is a difficult time for an industry upended by streaming services.

Persons: Nicole Sperling Organizations: Hollywood

☆ Larry Nassar, the ex-USA Gymnastics doctor who sexually abused girls for decades, was stabbed 10 times in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Shawn Nottingham Hannah Rabinowitz Holly Yan | Shawn Nottingham | Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexually abusing young athletes under the guise of medical treatment, was assaulted inside a federal prison in Florida, according to two sources familiar with the incident. Joe Rojas, president of the local correction officers’ union, told CNN Nassar was stabbed a total of 10 times – twice in the neck, twice in the back, and six times in the chest. Rojas says Nassar is in stable condition. In 2021, victims of Nassar reached a $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic Committee and their insurers. The settlement was part of the USA Gymnastics plan to exit bankruptcy as the organization has struggled to recover from the Nassar scandal.

Persons: Larry Nassar, Joe Rojas, CNN Nassar, –, Rojas, Nassar, “, Coleman Organizations: CNN, USA, of Prisons, United States, Staff, Medical Services, Michigan State University, US Olympic, US Olympic Committee, Associated Press Locations: Florida, Sumterville , Florida, Michigan, Ingham County

☆ Nassar, disgraced doctor who abused US gymnasts, is stabbed in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 10 (Reuters) - Larry Nassar, the disgraced doctor of USA Gymnastics who was convicted of sexually abusing young female gymnasts, has been stabbed multiple times by another inmate in prison and was in stable condition on Monday, U.S. media reported. Since the Nassar scandal, USA Gymnastics has overhauled its leadership and filed for bankruptcy, saying at the time it was staggering under the weight of lawsuits filed by hundreds of women who were sexually abused by the former team doctor. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee reached a $380 million settlement. In September 2021, Biles and Maroney were among the high profile Olympic gymnasts who gave heart-wrenching testimony before a U.S. Senate panel about the sexual abuse they endured for years under Nassar's care. At that hearing, the gymnasts blasted the FBI for its mishandling of the investigation, with Biles accusing the bureau of turning a blind eye to all of Nassar's victims.

Persons: Larry Nassar, Penitentiary Coleman, Benjamin O'Cone, O'Cone, Nassar, Joe Rojas, Rebecca Cook, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, unflinchingly, General Michael Horowitz, Biles, Maroney, Rami Ayyub, Frank Pingue, Doina Chiacu, Alistair Bell Organizations: USA Gymnastics, Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S, Penitentiary, FBI, CNN, Associated Press, USA, REUTERS, Michigan State University, Olympic, Paralympic, Senate, Biles, Thomson Locations: Florida, Eaton, Charlotte , Michigan, U.S

☆ Hollywood Actors Extend Contract Talks at Deadline
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Nicole Sperling | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The union representing some 160,000 television and movie actors said on Friday night that it would continue contract negotiations with the major Hollywood studios and streaming services, extending the current deal — which had been set to expire at midnight — through July 12. The decision is a welcome reprieve, at least for the moment, for a beleaguered Hollywood, where a writers’ strike has entered its ninth week with no end in sight. A second strike by the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, the industry’s largest labor organization, would essentially shut Hollywood down. Should the actors go on strike, they and writers would be together on the picket lines for the first time since 1960. The actors last went on strike for a significant period in 1980, when they were out for three months.

Persons: Fran Drescher, ABC’s, ” Organizations: Hollywood, SAG Locations: Hollywood

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