Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has stayed quiet during the strike despite previously speaking fondly of the SAG-AFTRA union. Photo / AP
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has stayed quiet during the strike despite previously speaking fondly of the SAG-AFTRA union. Photo / AP
While many stars have pledged their support in the Hollywood strikes, others are staying noticeably quiet including Meghan Markle.
Despite being made a very public offering of support by SAG-AFTRA after her bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021, and once being a member of the acting union, the former Suits actress is yet to voice her stance on the strikes and there may be a major reason why.
Daily Mail has reported the Duchess of Sussex may well be in favour of the strikes but seemingly has her hands tied when it comes to voicing her support due to her and Prince Harry’s multimillion-dollar deal with Netflix.
The UK news outlet claims the 41-year-old mother of two - who is currently locked into a GBP£78 million (NZ$161 million) contract with the streaming giant - may be staying silent as any comment she makes could reflect a conflict of interest as the company is currently refusing to cooperate with the striking actors and writers.
Meghan spoke fondly of the union during her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Regardless, it comes as a surprise since she has previously spoken fondly of the union and even hinted during her interview with Winfrey that her membership was something she missed when become a royal.
Recalling a conversation with the Palace’s HR department, during her time as a working royal, Meghan said, “I just really need help. Because in my old job, there was a union, and they would protect me.”
Mid-interview, SAG-AFTRA responded to the comment in a tweet, saying: “We are still here for you, Meghan. Everyone deserves the protection of a union.”
But it seems the Duchess is yet to share the same kind of support. And it turns out she isn’t the only major star who is keeping quiet on the matter.
Elsewhere household names including Ben Affleck, Julia Roberts and Kate Winslet have all kept tight lipped on the strikes while their colleagues take to the streets sharing their unwavering support.
Actor, writer and director Ben Affleck has stayed noticeably silent during the Hollywood strikes. Photo / AP
Their demands include increases in pay, residuals to reflect the streaming TV landscape and guarantees that artificial intelligence (AI) won’t take their jobs.
While it is not yet known how long the strike could go on for, actress-turned-filmmaker Alexandra Boyd told news.com.au reporter Nelson Aspen that it’s likely going to be a long time.
“The people [studios] we are dealing with care only about money. The fans and the audience will watch the continually watered-down content they are getting on the streamers while the producers will profit and the actors will all have to find other jobs,” she said.
It comes after former The Nanny star and now SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, called out Disney CEO Bob Iger after he said that the union’s demands were not “realistic”.
“I found [his comments] terribly repugnant and out of touch. Positively tone deaf,” she said.
“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 hardworking people who don’t make anywhere near the salary that he’s making.”
The last time Hollywood actors and writers engaged in a simultaneous strike was in 1960, under the SAG presidency of Ronald Reagan.
