Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Hollywood Stars Are Threatening to Boycott Filming in Georgia for a Very Important Reason

Hollywood Stars Are Threatening to Boycott Filming in Georgia for a Very Important Reason
Benjamin Lowy / Contributor via Getty Images // Jon Kopaloff / Stringer

Resist.

With sweeping tax credits provided to film and television productions that spend more than $500,000 in the state, Georgia is the second most popular filming location in the world and number one in the United States.

It's likely you've seen the state onscreen in productions like The Walking Dead and Black Panther. In 2017, film and television productions brought nearly $10 billion in spending to the state.


That might change soon.

After a push from Georgia's Democratic nominee for governor in last year's election, Stacey Abrams, denizens of the film and television industry are threatening to boycott filming in Georgia should the state pass House Bill 481.

The bill states:

"It shall be the policy of the State of Georgia to recognize the presence of a fetal heartbeat as the point of “fetal viability,” creating a compelling state interest to protect 'the independent essence of the second life' as an 'object of state protection' from abortion; and It shall be the policy of the State of Georgia to recognize unborn children as natural persons who qualify for state income tax deductions and state population based determinations."

Effectively, the bill would ban abortion at the presence of a fetal heartbeat. These heartbeats normally occur around six weeks after conception—before many women even know they are pregnant.

Fifty actors have signed an open letter to Georgia's governor Brian Kemp and Speaker of the House David Ralston, which states in part:

"We cannot in good conscience continue to recommend our industry remain in Georgia if H.B. 481 becomes law."

Actor and activist Alyssa Milano delivered the letter via Twitter on Thursday.

The letter is signed by notable actors like Sean Penn, Laverne Cox, Debra Messing, Amy Schumer, Alec Baldwin and others.

Many have spoken out on Twitter as well.

But it's not just actors speaking out.

The Writers Guild of America has also spoken out against the bill.

As well as a bevy of others.

H.B. 481 has passed a Georgia House committee. Action is needed.

Let Georgia legislators and Governor Brian Kemp know what you think using the hashtag #HB481IsBadForBusiness. Contact information for Georgia officials and scripts expressing opposition to the bill (as well as other issues) are available here.

Update: The Georgia House of Representatives passed House Bill 481. It will now be sent to the desk of Republican Governor Brian Kemp, where he is expected to ratify it.

More from News

Jeff Ross
Mike Coppola/Variety via Getty Images

Comedian Jeff Ross Shares Photos Of Puffed Up Lip After Allergic Reaction To Ice Cream

Insult comic Jeff Ross revealed he had a medical emergency after a show Saturday night that resulted in a trip to the ER. However, he assured fans the show must go on despite "looking like Mickey Rourke at the end of The Wrestler."

Ross recounted the ordeal on Instagram, showing his swollen lip taking over his face from eating burrata ice cream after his Take a Banana for the Ride show in Mill Valley, California, near San Francisco.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot of Jesse Watters on Fox News
Fox News

Jesse Watters Offers Mind-Numbing New Claim About Masculinity—And Is Instantly Dragged

Problematic Fox News MAGA pundit Jesse Watters has made another bizarre claim about masculinity.

Having already taken exception with eating ice cream, drinking milkshakes, and taking bubble baths, Watters is now targeting tech jobs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump with the Dodgers
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump Leaves Everyone Confused With Hilariously Bizarre Word Salad Tribute To The Dodgers

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he welcomed the 2024 World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House on Monday with a bizarre, tangential, and rambling speech.

The team arrived at the White House on Monday morning, where Trump, in his remarks, praised two-way star Shohei Ohtani and infielder Mookie Betts. The Dodgers had defeated the New York Yankees in five games to clinch their second World Series title in five seasons.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump Roasted After Giving Clunky New Nickname To People Criticizing His Tariffs

President Donald Trump was criticized after he pushed back against critics of his tariffs, coming up with a new nickname for the "weak and stupid" people who oppose them.

The Trump administration’s newly imposed tariffs on imports from various countries have unsettled consumers, triggered a trade war, disrupted global markets, and sparked widespread fears of a potential recession in the U.S. and beyond.

Keep ReadingShow less

Childhood Experiences People Thought Were 'Normal' But Weren't At All

Content Warning: Child neglect, child abuse, narcissism, gaslighting, people-pleasing, and other traumatic childhood experiences

It's important for us to work on ourselves, to continue bettering ourselves throughout our limited time on this earth, and a key way of doing that is acknowledging what we do not know, and working on that.

Keep ReadingShow less