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Oscar Isaac, Raven-Symoné, and More Stars Issue Support for Disney Walkouts

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In an open letter, Disney employees said the company’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill “utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat” the legislation poses.


Celebrities Support Disney Walkout

Oscar Isaac, Mark Ruffalo, Raven-Symoné, and other stars of Disney programs voiced their support for Tuesday’s employee walkout protesting the company’s response to Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

The legislation would severely restrict how sexuality can be discussed in classrooms in the state. It has been passed by both Florida’s House and Senate, and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signaled his support. 

For many weeks, Disney — one of the largest employers in the state — stayed quiet about the measure. The company also donated to politicians who sponsored the bill. While CEO Bob Chapek eventually released a statement against the legislation, many employees thought his remarks fell short and were made too late. Many participated in a virtual walkout on Tuesday, while others protested in person at Walt Disney Studios. 

Actress Raven-Symoné was among those who joined the walkout. She posted a video on Instagram of her and the cast of her Disney Channel show “Raven’s Home” participating in the protest.

“In today’s world it is imperative that we take stands, show support, and move forward not backwards,” she wrote. “Every family every person and every child deserves to be recognized no matter their race, gender, or sexual orientation.”

Actress Kerry Washington, who appeared on the hit ABC series “Scandal” tweeted that she “does not condone the actions or inactions of Disney in this moment.”

“I wholeheartedly support the LGBTQIA+ employees, and stand with them in this walk out today,” Washington continued. “Please know that you matter. Your rights matter.”

“Avengers” star Mark Ruffalo reposted Washington’s message. 

“Standing proud and in solidarity with our [LGBTQIA+] family,” he added. 

When asked about the Florida bill, “Star Wars” actor Oscar Isaac, who is staring in the upcoming Disney+ series “Moon Night,” condemned the law. 

“I guess my comment would be: gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gayyyyyy!” Isaac told Variety.  

“It’s an absolutely ridiculous law,” he continued. “It’s insane. It’s insanity. And I hope that Disney as a company comes out as forcefully as possible against this idea.”

What Has Disney Said?

In his first remarks addressing the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in early March, Chapek gave no words condemning the proposal. He instead voiced support for the LGBTQIA+ community without offering political action. 

“The biggest impact we can have in creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce,” Chapek wrote.

Chapek’s comments swiftly incited outrage, prompting him to send an email to employees acknowledging their disappointment. He continued to claim that LGBTQIA+ rights were a priority for Disney, but argued that “corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds.” He said he believed there were “more effective ways to achieve change.”

By March 11, Chapek issued an apology to Disney employees for not taking a more direct approach. 

“Starting immediately, we are increasing our support for advocacy groups to combat similar legislation in other states,” he said in a memo. “And today, we are pausing all political donations in the state of Florida pending this review.”

What Do Disney Employees Want?

Those remarks did not go far enough for staffers who hoped their employer would use its power to take a stronger stand. In an open letter, Disney employees said the company’s response “utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation.”

“We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Florida, who will be directly harmed by this new law and yet still required to perform their duties for a company that not only failed to prevent, but also tacitly funded it,” the letter continued. 

The letter also included a list of several demands. Among other requests, it asked that Disney “indefinitely cease all campaign donations” to Florida politicians involved passing in the bill, including DeSantis.

The employees also asked that Disney be more transparent about its advocacy support plans and issue a clear outline for how it will expand content representing the LGBTQIA+ community. 

When it comes to business in Florida specifically, the employees said that Disney should stop construction and investment in the state until “Don’t Say Gay,” which has not been signed into law, is repealed. They also said Disney should stop or ease efforts to relocate employees to Florida.

See what others are saying: (NPR) (The Hollywood Reporter) (Entertainment Weekly)

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Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”

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The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”


After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.

“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. 

Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers. 

The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face. 

“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”

“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added. 

In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”

“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.

WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”

On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting. 

“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.

See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)

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A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women

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U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.


Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men. 

According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject. 

Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.

Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him. 

The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him. 

Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform. 

He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence. 

Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release. 

See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase

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“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.


“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.

In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued. 

Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving. 

The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.

The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests. 

The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident. 

“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said. 

Memories of Princess Diana

The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris. 

Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.

Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase. 

“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.” 

Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later. 

See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

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