Gettin’ IATSE Wit It: Will Smith & Halle Berry Music Video Shoot Picketed By Union After Crew Canned
A Will Smith and Halle Berry music video shoot in West Hollywood is facing union picket lines today after producers pink slipped the entire crew last night.
IATSE are on the street outside Quixote West Hollywood Studios right now after Breathe Entertainment fired the 35-person crew on Thursday over contract dispute.
Oscar winner Smith is in the building.
However, technically he didn’t cross a picket line as union members were not yet in formation when the King Richard star showed up in his white Lamborghini early Friday,” I’m told.
The DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince vet just released his first new album in 20 years on March 28. The shoot at Quixote is for a track for that Based On A True Story album distributed by indie label Slang Records, sources say.
Fellow Oscar winner Berry is not at the location currently, though she is scheduled to show up later today. Already on site are replacement workers a.k.a. scabs, who were brought in this AM.
Spokespeople and agents for the CAA-repped Smith and WME-repped Berry did not respond to requests for comment on the fluid situation when contacted by Deadline. IATSE said that all they would saying officially right now was what they recently posted on social media.
Breathe Entertainment also did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment on what went down. A spokesperson for Quixote this morning confirmed the union activity outside. However, the much respected and utilized facility also said that they had “no comment” on the Smith video SNAFU as “they are not involved in the production, we’re just renting out the space.”
Alas, sometimes labor laws just don’t understand.