Dwayne Johnson Donated Seven Figures to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation – Here’s What This Means for the Strike

Giovana Gelhoren
·4 min read
1
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.


On July 13, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (or SAG-AFTRA) joined the Writers Guild of America (or WGA) in their strike for better pay and treatment from major studios and streaming services. And although the cause is honorable, striking could also mean financial strain for many of its union members. After all, if you strike against your job, you’re not working or getting paid for it either.


But, luckily for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, a non-profit organization associated with the union, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson swooped in and saved the day. According to a recent story from Variety, the Black Adam star quickly responded to the foundation’s request for funds when the strike was announced and proceeded to donate a confidential seven-figure sum.

More from SheKnows


Talking to the outlet, the foundation’s president Courtney B. Vance and its executive director Cyd Wilson talked about Johnson’s contribution, and what it’ll mean for the picketers.


When Vance described the phone call between him and Johnson when the actor revealed his donation, which is described as the “largest single donation” the foundation has ever received, Vance said it was a “love fest.” “It’s like, ‘Man, you’re stepping up in a way that is allowing others to know the dire necessity of it,'” Vance said he told the actor during the call. “This is him saying, ‘In such a time as this, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, whatever you need me to do.’ And that sends a huge message to other folks to do the same thing.”

Click here to read the full article.


In other words, Johnson’s donation not only provides assistance to the countless working actors who need financial help, but it also motivates other A-listers to follow suit.


“I want to thank Dwayne for his tremendous generosity, compassion, and initiative to step up in this significant and meaningful way for our community,” Vance said. “On behalf of the thousands who will be helped by his historic donation, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Who Will Be Benefitting From Johnson’s Donation?


According to Vance and Wilson, thousands of SAG-AFTRA members will be helped due to Johnson’s generous donation.


In an explanation from Wilson, he said the foundation’s grants deliver up to $1,500 per individual member, but can also give out up to $6,000 in emergency financial assistance for extreme cases. And, given the strike, Wilson estimates that between 7,000 to 10,000 members will request these grants.


Already, the foundation has seen a spike in requests. “We’re processing probably five to 10 times what we would normally process in a week and think that is going to continue to increase,” Wilson stated.

What Does Johnson’s Donation Mean for the Strike?


As for what this donation means for the strike, it basically sets the foundation up to help actors in need for the “long haul.”


“We’ve been doing this since 1985, for 40 years, this is what we do,” Vance said. “Our mandate and our mission is to be able to help members in times of need and crisis times financially — for their medical bills, their rents, their mortgages and their food. And that’s where we find ourselves once again. They’re on the picket lines, but they still have to be able to pay for things. The union is on the front lines with Fran Drescher doing what they need to do.”


Vance continued, “All that we’re doing is about folks who are on those picket lines and letting the powers that be know that we’re here, we’re not going anywhere, we deserve better and won’t settle for less. So I’m grateful to our membership; I’m grateful to our leaders in our organization; I’m grateful to the leaders in the union — Fran Drescher and the negotiating committee. We’ll get there, it’s gonna take a minute but we’re gonna get there.”

What Can I Do to Help?


Although our pockets might not be as deep as Johnson’s, anyone reading this is also encouraged to donate to the foundation. “If your step up is $10, step up,” Vance said. “Because that $10 is going to help somebody. If it’s $10,000, if it’s $10 million, step up, because we have to. Everyone knows what happens when you go on strike, when you stand for something. As the saying goes, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for everything — you can’t stand unless you have support underneath you, on the side, up top and up front.”

Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who supported the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes.

Best of SheKnows

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter.
For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.