Nearly 400 Directors Sign Statement of Solidarity With Showrunners on Abortion Access Demands
Nearly 400 directors have signed a statement of solidarity with the showrunners’ letter demanding abortion protections from networks, studios and streamers a week and a half ago.
There are now nearly 1,500 writers and directors presenting a united front in asking Hollywood’s employers to help provide abortion access in states where it is now illegal. On July 28, more than 400 female, trans and non-binary TV creators and showrunners sent a letter to the likes of Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal and Netflix asking them to craft explicit policies to protect employees seeking abortions, particularly those working on productions in states where the procedure is now or soon will be prohibited following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson. On Aug. 1, nearly 600 of their male counterparts signed a statement of support.
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The original letter demanded that companies furnish a written policy of their current abortion safety plan within 10 days. So far, no company has issued a public response; The Hollywood Reporter reached out to several studios but none has yet shared details regarding a response to the letter. The coalition’s organizers have not returned a request for comment.
The directors’ statement uses the same language as the male showrunners’ statement and reads: We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with our writer/creator colleagues in demanding a coordinated and timely response from our employers regarding the imminent workplace-safety crisis created by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Abortion access doesn’t only affect people who can become pregnant. It affects us all.
Director signatories include Alex Gibney, Alice Wu, Barry Jenkins, Catherine Hardwicke, Gina Prince-Bythewood, James Ponsoldt, Joey Soloway, Judd Apatow, Karyn Kusama, Lena Dunham, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marc Webb, Matthew A. Cherry, Melina Matsoukas, Morgan Neville and Stephen Daldry.
The original letter was signed by creators, showrunners and head writers who included Pamela Adlon, Bisha K. Ali, Rachel Bloom, Yvette Bowser, Mara Brock Akil, Gloria Calderon Kellett, Ilene Chaiken, Diablo Cody, Michelle Dean, Lena Dunham, Ava DuVernay, Misha Green, Katori Hall, Jenny Han, Chelsea Handler, Leslye Headland, Sian Heder, Soo Hugh, Our Lady J, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kang, Marta Kauffman, Zoe Kazan, Nahnatchka Khan, Michelle King, Jenji Kohan, Jenni Konner, Adele Lim, Natasha Lyonne, Marti Noxon, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Julie Plec, Issa Rae, Shonda Rhimes, Amber Ruffin, Marja-Lewis Ryan, Tanya Saracho, Stephanie Savage, Amy Schumer, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Sierra Teller Ornelas, Robin Thede, Krista Vernoff, Lilly Wachowski, Lena Waithe and Lulu Wang.
Aug. 9, 2:09 p.m. Removed reference to The Affair creator Sarah Treem as chief organizer of the coalition.
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