SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher Doubles Down On Concerns About Hollywood’s Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate

Whoopi Goldberg is once again at the center of controversy.

Whoopi Goldberg is once again at the center of controversy.

, has been striking a balance between regal and relatable in her many appearances in the run-up to Christmas–the first one for the royal family since the passing of in September. Yes, there have been  by Jenny Packham and Needle & Thread (the former worn with the ), and  in burgundy, one of the royal’s most-worn colors—but we’ve also seen the Princess in and courtesy of the , and  while decorating her Christmas tree.Now, Kate has offered up another take on festive knitwear in a promo for Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, filmed on 15 December and due to air on Christmas Eve on ITV in the UK: a , with gold braided trim and black diamanté buttons.The black shade is notable: members of the royal family never wear it except when in mourning, and this year’s carol service is dedicated to the memory of the Queen. “Her Majesty held Christmas close to her heart, as a time that brought people together and reminded us of the importance of faith, friendship and family, and to show empathy and compassion,” the Princess says in the teaser. This content can also be viewed on the site it from.She continued, “This year, we’ve invited hundreds of inspiring individuals to the service.

SAG-AFTRA has condemned the arrest by the Iranian government of Taraneh Alidoosti, the internationally acclaimed actress who starred in the Oscar-winning film The Salesman.

SAG-AFTRA has implemented new protections for the self-taping of auditions for low-budget productions.  The move was made, the guild said, “to address members’ concerns about this common yet frequently challenging practice.” The new guidelines limit all low-budget projects to the reading of five script pages for a first self-taped audition, although additional pages can be requested for a callback or on zoom.

SAG-AFTRA today applauded the enactment of the Respect for Marriage Act, which was signed into law today by President Joe Biden. The bipartisan legislation was passed in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, and concerns that the court might next rule that states can make same-sex and interracial marriages illegal.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation granted more than $800,000 in emergency financial assistance, Covid assistance, senior financial crisis aid, health assistance and disaster relief this year to members of the union, the foundation’s president, Courtney B. Vance, said in his year-end fireside chat. He also reported that the Foundation awarded another $300,000 in higher education scholarships to 106 SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents.

In a major victory for SAG-AFTRA and GLAAD, IMDb has agreed to allow industry professionals to remove their dates of birth, birth names and other demographic information from its IMDb and IMDbPro sites.

SAG-AFTRA is surveying its members about how they feel about the industry’s Covid vaccination mandate in advance of the January 31 expiration of the Covid protocols, per an oft-extended agreement between the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers and Hollywood’s unions.

SAG-AFTRA has condemned the arrest of two Iranian actors and other demonstrators during recent protests that have swept the Islamic Republic.

SAG-AFTRA believes in free speech, but not hate speech. On Friday, the union took the rare step of condemning one of its own members – Ye, formerly known as Kanye West – for making antisemitic statements.

SAG-AFTRA is staffing up and gearing up to reopen its offices on January 30 after having been closed to in-person gatherings since the onset of the Covid pandemic nearly three years ago.

SAG-AFTRA, in partnership with the AFL-CIO, is offering new SAG-AFTRA Senior Benefit Plans for all Medicare-eligible members and their Medicare-eligible spouses/partners, which includes a $0 premium option. The new plans are available to all of SAG-AFTRA’s Medicare-eligible members, regardless of their qualification for the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.   

Sky News Boss John Ryley Steps Down

A change in plans. Mandana Dayani, the president of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Foundation, has stepped down.

EXCLUSIVE: Luke Tennie (Shrinking) has boarded Oscar nom RaMell Ross’ feature The Nickel Boys, based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name.