Just a few hours shy of the deadline set in late July by hundreds of top female writers and showrunners on abortion safety protocols, most of Hollywood’s biggest studios and streamers today opted to side step specifics.
A response letter stuffed with boilerplate comments about sharing “your concerns around the health, safety and well-being of our dedicated employees and the people who support our productions”And “access to safe and effective health care,”Disney, AppleTV+ and NBCUniversal were largely silent on the main points of concern and action that Pamela Adlon and Issa Kaling, Mindy Kaling and Natasha Lyonne raised.
The conservative majority Supreme Court ruled that Roe v Wade was invalidated on June 24. Industry talent asked the studios and streamers for help. “review of your current abortion safety plan”Within 10 business day. It would have been shortly before midnight LA time.
In the tense electoral atmosphere of the upcoming midterms, today’s letter conveyed nothing about ceasing donations to anti-abortion candidates and PACs – which should be a pretty easy call for Blue Hollywood. It is despite relying on existing union healthcare plans. “continuing to evaluate ways that we can best provide for our employees and workers who support our productions,”This maladroit letter was also silent on privacy and liability indemnification for civil or criminal charges. “pregnancy complications”And “protocols outlining the scope of medical care” – as had been requested.
It did produce a tin eared. “we look forward to working with you to continue to make great content for our audiences around the world” as a closing line in Wednesday’s letter.
“It’s an insult, plain to see,” one signee told Deadline Wednesday after the response correspondence started showing up in people’s inboxes. “It’s indicative of what’s truly important to them, which isn’t us, our safety or rights,”The hyphenated creative addition “I shouldn’t be surprised, I am, but I know I shouldn’t be,”Another top-tier signatory to the July 28, letter from writers and showrunners stated bluntly about the response she received today.
Deadline tonight was told by several signatories to the original letters that they are currently discussing further actions to stockpile studios and support streamers. Nearly 600 men were among the writers and showrunners who sent their own abortion rights letters. “our employers”This month, earlier “regarding the imminent crisis.”The “form letter reply,”One of the male scribes described it as “the galvanizing factor” that many female colleagues received today. It has apparently galvanized many of them to pursue other strategies. “Hollywood needs to send a message of unwavering support to American women,”One male content creator stated. “Abortion banning states need to know that support isn’t just moral, but financial if need be. And if the industry needs to, it needs to walk away from tax credits and production in those states.”
One producer spoke out about the national hopes that resulted from Kansas’s recent defeat of a constitutional amendment banning abortion altogether. “Hollywood has decided to stay on the sidelines in Georgia, and with Republicans.”According to the director, “this isn’t over, but now we know who our allies are.”
You can read the complete response letter from studios and steamers right here.
We appreciate your July 28th 2022 letter. Your concerns about the safety, health and well-being our employees and those who support our productions are shared by us. They should have access and privacy to effective and safe health care.
Each one of our corporate health plans is customized to provide comprehensive coverage for employees. We have been independently updating our respective employees – who live and work throughout the country – as plans and policies change and expand to provide reproductive care and other support now needed in states that have restricted or outlawed abortion access.
The majority of workers involved in scripted TV and film productions are covered under industry health plans. These plans are jointly managed by union and management trustees within the collective bargaining framework. Our management trustees, working together with the union trustees and staff of industry health plans, reviewed existing health benefits quickly. Many industry health plans have already approved amendments that provide reimbursement for travel expenses related to securing abortion services for participants or their dependents who live in states where such services are not legal. According to our understanding, other industry health plans are considering similar changes. These amendments were sent directly to the industry plans participants.
We are happy that industry partners quickly addressed this issue. We will continue to evaluate how we can provide the best support for our workers and those who work in our productions.
As we monitor the changing situation, we want to assure that each of us is focused on protecting the privacy, health, safety and well-being of all employees and support staff. We are looking forward to working together to produce great content for our worldwide audiences.