Showrunners Coalition ‘Directly And Individually’ With Studios Over Access To Abortions For Hollywood Workers

A six-week public discussion between the studios and the show’s collective of producers over access to abortion for Hollywood workers hit something of a letdown.

“While there is still a lot of work to be done, we can share with you that the nine studios we have contacted (Amazon, AMC, Apple TV+, CBS/Paramount, Disney, Lionsgate, NBCU, Netflix and Warner Brothers Discovery) they are participating directly and individually. . We address the security, privacy and legal protection needs of your employees,” the Coalition of Anonymous Showrunners wrote in a statement released Friday morning.

The coalition noted that some companies are considering implementing a 24-hour hotline for people working in states that have now restricted or banned abortion in Roe v. For taking down Wade. In part, the Hollywood Foundation for Abortion Relief Coalition has raised nearly $3 million, including from talent agencies, to benefit the National Network of Abortion Foundations.

On July 28, more than 400 female, trans and non-binary entertainment producers sent a letter to nine studios demanding that companies establish specific policies to facilitate legal access to abortion for employees working on productions in countries hostile to abortion. Nearly 500 showrunners and nearly 400 directors signed a statement of solidarity shortly afterward. The studios issued a brief public response to the Aug. 10 deadline, which the now 1,500-member coalition deemed insufficient in a follow-up letter on Aug. 15 requesting more specific Labor Day items. The seven studios have jointly responded to the festivities, saying they are “communicating directly with our respective showrunners and staff, through individual studio working groups or other effective channels, to discuss these issues in the context of specific productions.”

These conversations now appear to continue offline.