Fran Drescher Explains How Her Work in Italy Was Used To Undermine SAG-AFTRA

Fran Drescher has set the record straight on how Hollywood used her work in Italy against the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). SAG-AFTRA officially announced a strike on July 13, after negotiations failed to secure the union a satisfactory new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The union’s contract was initially supposed to expire on June 30, but the SAG-AFTRA extended the deadline to July 12, allowing for extra time for negotiations in hopes of avoiding a strike. As a result, the period between June 30 and July 12 was filled with intense negotiating as the SAG-AFTRA wanted to avoid the last resort of a strike.

That’s why Drescher, president of the SAG-AFTRA, came under fire when she was spotted in Italy around July 10 at a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show. A photo was published of her with Kim Kardashian, who was also in attendance at the event. It didn’t take long for the photo to begin circulating on social media. Media outlets soon picked it up, documenting the backlash Drescher received from Hollywood. Claims quickly arose that Drescher was partying in Italy with Kardashian while SAG-AFTRA was still desperately trying to negotiate without its president. The backlash was especially harsh because many have been unhappy with Drescher due to some infuriating comments she made on the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

However, at the press conference announcing the SAG-AFTRA strike, Drescher explained what was really going on in Italy.

Fran Drescher addresses Italy work trip

When media outlets first began reporting on Drescher’s trip, SAG-AFTRA released a statement explaining that the union was fully aware of Drescher’s commitments in Italy and confirmed she was still taking part in negotiations. However, that didn’t stop the topic from arising during the SAG-AFTRA press conference. SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, addressed the issue first after a member of the press mentioned that the CEOs of studios were sharing the photo to discredit SAG-AFTRA. Crabtree-Ireland called it “outrageous, wrong, and despicable” that Hollywood employers would use a photo of Drescher working to try to create conflict within SAG-AFTRA.

Drescher then explained that she is a brand ambassador for Dolce & Gabbana, and was under contract to attend the event in Italy. She wasn’t partying with her “friend” Kardashian, who Drescher hadn’t met until moments before the photo was snapped. It was strictly a work commitment, and after the event ended, she continued negotiations via Zoom. Crabtree-Ireland also mentioned that she was working 18-hour days during this Italy trip to balance both commitments. Drescher finished her explanation with, “I think that all of the people standing behind, stand behind me!”

What’s even more infuriating about the attempts to discredit Drescher is that the AMPTP refused to negotiate. She and the members at the press conference claimed that the AMPTP did nothing with the deadline extension, making them question if the studios just used the extra two weeks to promote their summer films. Plus, billionaires like David Zaslav and other CEOs were spotted enjoying a summer camp for billionaires at The Sun Valley Lodge in Idaho amid the strike. It truly is shameful that these studios allegedly tried to use Drescher’s work trip to create division, while also refusing to cooperate in negotiations and touting their billionaire lifestyles in the midst of two major Hollywood strikes.

(featured image: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)