Fran Drescher Slams Disney CEO Bob Iger Over Labor Strikes
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher did not hold back when criticizing Disney CEO Bob Iger for his comments on the ongoing labor strikes. In an interview with Variety on the strike picket lines outside the Paramount Pictures studio lot, Drescher called Iger’s remarks “terribly repugnant and out of touch.”
Iger’s comments came during a July 13 interview with CNBC’s David Faber at the Sun Valley Conference, where he stated that the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikers were not being “realistic” with their demands.
Drescher responded to Iger’s remarks by saying, “I don’t think it served him well. If I were that company, I would lock him behind doors and never let him talk to anybody about this because it’s so obvious that he has no clue as to what is really happening on the ground with hard-working people that don’t make anywhere near the salary he is making.”
She continued to criticize Iger and the Hollywood studios, saying, “High seven figures, eight figures, this is crazy money that they make, and they don’t care if they’re land barons of a medieval time.”
Iger’s interview took place just hours before Drescher officially called for a SAG-AFTRA strike, with picketing beginning on July 14. When asked about the labor strikes, Iger expressed his concern, stating, “This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption.”
He added, “I understand any labor organization’s desire to work on behalf of its members to get the most compensation and be compensated fairly based on the value that they deliver. There’s a level of expectation that they have, that is just not realistic.”
Drescher’s fiery speech announcing the SAG-AFTRA strike went viral on July 13, where she condemned the Hollywood studios and described them as “a very greedy entity.” She expressed disbelief in the studios pleading poverty while generously compensating their CEOs.
The strike has resulted in significant disruptions to the industry as the union fights for fair compensation for its members. With tensions running high, it remains to be seen how these labor strikes will be resolved.
Additional reporting by Elizabeth Wagmeister.