Fran Drescher criticized for hanging out with Kim Kardashian in Italy as actors strike looms
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher was photographed at a Dolce & Gabbana event in Italy amid union contract negotiations
The new deadline for a potential SAG-AFTRA strike is imminent, and it’s looking more and more likely. The actors’ union has released guidelines for a work stoppage, and guild members have been gearing up by making signs for the picket line. Meanwhile, The Nanny’s Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA president and chair of the negotiating committee, has been over in Italy with Dolce & Gabbana.
Drescher came under fire in particular after Kim Kardashian posted a picture of the two of them together, praising her as a “fashion icon.” Actor Laura Lee tweeted, “Hey @frandrescher, why are you gallivanting around when our strike is looming? Super bad look. And with Kim, who recently crossed the WGA picket line, no less. #gross” (Kardashian has been criticized for continuing to work on Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story.)
“Negotiating our possible strike from Italy seems like a strange strategy,” For All Mankind’s Lenny Jacobson tweeted alongside the photo, while actor Johnathan Walker posted, “Lost my vote next time around Fran. We’re mostly out of work, walking picket lines in solidarity, and you’re picking up swag. Fuggedaboutdit.”
“Look—I’m not saying one can’t have a personal life. And I’m not saying one can’t take a vacation,” tweeted actor Briana Cap. “But we are in the middle of the most crucial negotiation in decades and our WGA siblings are on day 70 of fighting for their lives. The optics here are *truly* awful. Do better.”
A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson defended Drescher (via Deadline), stating, “President Drescher is working as a brand ambassador for Dolce and Gabbana on location in Italy. This was a commitment fully known to the negotiating committee. She has been in negotiations every day either in person or via videoconference. President Drescher is managing a physically demanding schedule across three time zones, overseeing negotiations and working on location daily as well as managing her parents’ needs in Florida. She is returning to the states and will be on the ground in LA tomorrow and will continue to chair our negotiations.”
SAG-AFTRA’s current contract, extended past the June 30 deadline, now expires at midnight P.T. on July 12. Several high-profile union members have voiced their support for a strike, and many have cited solidarity with the Writers Guild of America as well as unprecedented changes in the industry as reasons for taking action.