Entertainment

Hollywood Shuts Down As Actors Go On Strike

Published

3 years ago

July 14, 2023

Actors will join writers in the first industry-wide walkout for 63 years, effectively bringing the giant movie and television business to a halt.

At 0701 GMT, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), representing around 160,000 movie and television actors, tweeted a black picture alongside the message: “12:01 a.m. PT That’s a wrap!”

SAG-AFTRA had issued a strike order after last-ditch talks with studios over dwindling pay and the threat posed by artificial intelligence ended without a deal.

“This is a moment of history, a moment of truth — if we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble,” SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher told a press conference, following the union board’s unanimous vote to strike.

“We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines and big business.”

Writers have already spent 11 weeks protesting outside the headquarters of the likes of Disney and Netflix, after their demands for better pay and guarantees over the use artificial intelligence were not met.

Movie studios have already begun reshuffling their calendars, and if the strikes drag on, major film releases could be postponed too.

A strike prevents actors from promoting some of the year’s biggest releases, at the peak of the industry’s summer blockbuster season.

Drescher told AFP that SAG-AFTRA was “duped” into extending negotiations for two weeks by studios that wanted to promote their movies.

“But we were duped. They stayed behind closed doors, they kept canceling our meetings, wasting time,” Drescher said.

“It was probably all to have more time to promote their summer movies. Because nothing came out of it that was significant.”

During that two-week period, major premieres have been held around the world for blockbusters including Warner’s “Barbie,” Universal’s “Oppenheimer” and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.”

The cast of “Oppenheimer” walked out of their London premiere in solidarity with the strike.

“We know it’s a critical time at this point in the industry and the issues that are involved need to be addressed — there are difficult conversations,” British actor Kenneth Branagh said on the red carpet just before the strike was announced.

“I know everybody’s trying to get a fair deal, that’s what’s required, so we’ll support that.”

SAG-AFTRA represents actors from A-list stars such as Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Glenn Close to day players who do small roles on television series.

The last time the actors’ union went on strike, in 1980, it lasted more than three months.

This time, some 98 percent of members voted to pre-approve industrial action if a deal was not reached.

The union said actors’ pay has been “severely eroded by the rise of the streaming ecosystem,” and has warned that “artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to creative professions.”

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said it had offered “historic” pay rises and a “groundbreaking AI proposal” to actors, who had chosen “a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry.”

But Phil Lord — the writer, director and producer behind hits such as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The Lego Movie” — poured scorn on the studios’ version of events.

“AMPTP has played hardball instead of helping to solve entirely solvable problems that endanger writers and actors on the lower ends of the pay scale,” he tweeted.

– ‘Painful’ –

While the writers’ strike has already dramatically reduced the number of movies and shows in production, an actors’ walkout shutters almost everything.

“I feel sad and it is painful and it’s necessary,” said actor Jennifer Van Dyck, on the picket line in New York on Thursay.

“No one wants to go on strike, but there’s just no way we can proceed.”

Actors and writers are also united on demands for guarantees about the use of AI.

SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland slammed the studios’ latest stance on AI.

He told journalists that studios had proposed to be allowed to scan the faces of background performers — or extras — for the payment of one day’s work, and be able to own and use their likeness “for the rest of eternity, in any project they want, with no consent and no compensation.”

Entertainment

Family Releases Burial Arrangements For Late Actor, Alexx Ekubo

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2026

Editor

Alexx Ekubo’s family has officially announced the funeral arrangements for the late actor, describing him as a man whose life was filled with love, faith, generosity and compassion.

DAILY POST had earlier reported that the Nollywood actor passed away after suffering from kidney cancer.

The Ekubo-Okwaraeke family announced the funeral arrangements in a statement released via the actor’s social media handle.

The statement read: “Forever in Our Hearts.

“With profound sorrow, yet gratitude to God for a life so beautifully lived and deeply impactful, we officially announce the funeral arrangements of our beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and colleague, Alexx Ekubo-Okwaraeke

“The overwhelming outpouring of love, prayers, messages, visits, calls, support, and strength shown to the family during this painful period has been truly humbling. Words cannot fully express our gratitude.

“Alexx was deeply loved, and your kindness continues to remind us that his light, compassion, faith, and impact on so many lives will never be forgotten.

“Though his passing came far too soon, Alexx lived a life marked by love, warmth, generosity, laughter, and an unwavering devotion to God and the people he cherished. His presence filled rooms, lifted hearts, and created memories that will remain with us forever.

“We warmly invite family, friends, colleagues, fans, and well wishers to join us as we honor and celebrate his beautiful life, enduring legacy, and the precious memories he gave us all.

“SERVICE OF SONGS

Date: Wednesday, 10th June 2026

Venue: The Monarch Event Center, Lekki, Lagos Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Dress Code: White

“WAKE KEEP

Date: Wednesday, 17th June 2026

Venue: 7 Ekubo-Okwaraeke Avenue, Aziukwukwa, Ujari Village, Arochukwu, Abia State

“FUNERAL SERVICE

Date: Thursday, 18th June 2026

Venue: Mary Slessor School, Amanagwu Village, Arochukwu, Abia State

“INTERMENT

Date: Thursday, 18th June 2026

Venue: 7 Ekubo-Okwaraeke Avenue, Aziukwukwa, Ujari Village, Arochukwu, Abia State

“RECEPTION

Reception to follow immediately after the interment at Mary Slessor School, Amanagwu Village, Arochukwu, Abia State.

Dress Code: White

“Please continue to keep Alexx, his wife, and the entire family in your prayers during this difficult time.”

Entertainment

Instagram Takes Down Phyna Account Amid Fight With VeryDarkMan

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2026

Editor

Former Big Brother Naija reality show winner, Phyna, has lost her Instagram page.

Phyna’s Instagram page was suspended on Monday amid her ongoing feud with social media critic and influencer, VeryDarkMan.

DAILY POST reports that Phyna had accused VeryDarkMan of manipulating the public against her after she turned down his sexual request.

Denying the allegation, VeryDarkMan said it is normal to seek a fellow adult’s consent for sex and demanded proof.

Backing up her claim, the reality star shared her alleged chats with VeryDarkMan on her Instagram page.

A few hours after the post, Instagram suspended her account. The development sparked mixed reactions online, with many accusing her of deactivating her account.

Reacting to the incident, Phyna, in a post on X, noted that her Instagram was suspended.

“I didn’t deactivate my IG. Deactivate say wetin happen na? It got suspended,” she wrote.

Entertainment

Women Lose Interest In Relationships, Marriage Once They Begin To Cheat – Yuletide Edochie

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2026

Editor

Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, has claimed that infidelity on the part of a woman affects her relationship or marriage more than that of a cheating man.

Featuring in a recent episode of The Honest Bunch Podcast, the actor argued that, unlike men, women lose interest in their relationships once they begin to cheat.

He stated that men should never forgive cheating, stressing that women who cheat have already lost interest.

The actor said any man who forgives cheating is a “weak man.”

He noted that women are faithful and supportive when they are truly in love, but a lot of men choose women who don’t love them, which makes those women cheat on their men with their true loves.

Edochie said, “If you meet a woman who loves you, she will be willing to do anything for you. But the problem is that a lot of men are with women who don’t love them and are wasting their time. So, they can’t get commitment from them because those women are not into them. She is into someone else.

“I don’t want to mention names, but look at the recent controversy over the alleged illicit affair of a young man with a married woman, where the husband was complaining to his wife to save their marriage, and the wife was trying to protect the young man. That is because it is the young man that she truly loves. Do you know how much she might have spent on him?

“I tell you, once a woman begins to cheat, she has checked out emotionally and psychologically. That is why, in some of the leaked alleged voice notes of the cheating woman and her lover, they were mocking her husband. It is normal for many women that once they begin to cheat, they have checked out.

“So, there is nothing like forgiveness when it comes to cheating. If you do, you are a weak man. People don’t understand, women love deeper. Just find the one who loves you, and you will be surprised how sweet life is. You can tell once you meet the one who loves you. Don’t be a fool because of a woman. If you simp for women, you can’t get a real woman. You must set boundaries. Women don’t love weak men,” he added.