- Dwayne Johnson Makes “Historic” Donation to SAG-AFTRA Foundation
- Donation to Assist Thousands of Striking Union Members
- SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild on Strike, Negotiations Stalled
The 51-year-old’s donation will assist thousands of SAG-AFTRA union members who have been on strike since May.
As union members continue to strike, Dwayne Johnson has made a “historic” donation to the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Foundation.
The wrestler-turned-actor donated seven figures to the non-union SAG-AFTRA Foundation, which appealed to the union’s highest-earners.
The charity provides financial aid to the 160,000 union members who have been on strike since May 2 in pursuit of higher pay and protections against the unauthorized use of their images by artificial intelligence (AI).
Courtney B. Vance, president of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and Cyril Wilson, executive director, told Variety that Johnson’s donation has the potential to “help thousands of actors.”
“It’s the largest donation we’ve ever received from a single individual at one time,” Mr. Wilson said, adding that people will be able to put food on the table, keep their children secure, and keep their cars running.
Unknown is the precise amount that the Moana actor donated.
The Foundation hailed Johnson on social media for his “extraordinary generosity and historic donation” with the hope that it would inspire other prominent members to follow suit.
Since the official start of the strike on Friday, 14 July, no end is in sight.
SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are on strike at the same moment for the first time in 63 years.
Members of the WGA have been on strike for the past two months, which has had a significant impact on productions like the fifth season of Stranger Things, the second season of The Last Of Us, the sixth season of The Handmaid’s Tale, and the Game Of Thrones spinoff A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.
On July 21, several British celebrities led a demonstration in London to demonstrate their support for striking American actors and writers.
SAG-AFTRA asserts that after four weeks of exhaustive negotiations, film and television executives have refused to negotiate health and pension plans.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major Hollywood studios such as Walt Disney and Netflix, stated earlier this month that a deal had been offered, which included better pay and AI safeguards, and accused the union of abandoning negotiations.
