According to The Hollywood Reporter, writer and producer Gregory Berlanti (Love, Simon, Green Lantern) has vowed to help those affected by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes through financial donations. In a letter, Berlanti outlined his plans to create a strike relief fund of $500,000. The strike relief fund is designed to help those who have worked on projects for his company Berlanti Productions. He also plans to donate $150,000 each to the Entertainment Community Fund and the Motion Picture & Television Fund, which are designed to aid those in the film and television industry.
As The Hollywood Reporter notes, he began his letter by referencing a time when he sent a similar letter during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his letter, he wrote, “As I said during the pandemic, I realize not knowing when your job might return creates a significant financial and emotional hardship for many. Also, I know many of our coworkers have barely caught their financial breath since that time. It is very important to me, and everyone at Berlanti Productions, that we are doing all that we can to help you during this moment. Early in the strike, like many others in my position, I donated to the Entertainment Community Fund. I will be making additional donations of 150,000 to that fund and the same amount to the Motion Picture & Television Fund — two amazing organizations I am incredibly proud to be associated with and that represent the best qualities of our business. I will be asking for that money to be earmarked for support staff and below-the-line workers. I implore other industry workers in a fortunate enough situation to give what they can to these organizations today.”
Berlanti continued to write, “In addition, for the support staff and below-the-line workers of our own shows, we are starting a strike relief fund of an additional 500,000 dollars. If you are receiving this email it means you have worked on one of our shows in the last few years in that capacity. If you have worked on one of our shows and haven’t received this email for some reason, and have heard about this elsewhere, that’s okay too.”
He ended his letter by providing an email address that recipients can contact for further support or suggestions, and he promised to continue doing everything that he can.