Former SAG President Slams Halloween Costume Strike Rules: ‘Silly Bulls—‘

As SAG-AFTRA told its members not to dress up as characters from struck companies this Halloween, former actors guild president Melissa Gilbert is speaking out.

“THIS is what you guys come up with? Literally no one cares what anyone wears for Halloween,” Gilbert wrote on Instagram in response to the union’s Halloween suggestions. “I mean, do you really think this kind of infantile stuff is going to end the strike? We look like a joke. Please tell me you’re going to make this rule go away… and go negotiate!”

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 01: Ezra Knight and SAG-AFTRA National President Fran Drescher are seen at the SAG-AFTRA rally outside the City Hall in Downtown, Manhattan on August 01, 2023 in New York City. — NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 01: Ezra Knight and SAG-AFTRA National President Fran Drescher are seen at the SAG-AFTRA rally outside the City Hall in Downtown, Manhattan on August 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Gilbert then tagged president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland writing, “For the love of God, people are suffering mightily and this is what you have to say… c’mon guys… This is the kind of silly bullshit that keeps us on strike. ‘Let’s enact a policy that makes us look petty and incompetent at the same time.’”

Gilbert led the union from the years 2001 – 2005 and was the third woman to be elected president of SAG-AFTRA.

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Pedro Pascal (C) walks the picket line with striking SAG-AFTRA members outside Warner Bros. Studio as the actors strike continues on September 26, 2023 in Burbank, California. Hollywood is awaiting the final vote on a tentative contract agreement between over 11,000 Writers Guild of America (WGA) members and Hollywood studios in the nearly 150-day writers strike. — BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 26: Pedro Pascal (C) walks the picket line with striking SAG-AFTRA members outside Warner Bros. Studio as the actors strike continues on September 26, 2023 in Burbank, California. Hollywood is awaiting the final vote on a tentative contract agreement between over 11,000 Writers Guild of America (WGA) members and Hollywood studios in the nearly 150-day writers strike. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

As of late, SAG-AFTRA urged its members to “celebrate Halloween this year while also staying in solidarity” with the ongoing strike.

Instead of trick-or-treating as characters like Barbie and Ken, the guild recommends to ‘choose costumes inspired by generalized characters and figures.’ This has also been met with a mixed response on social media.

A number of SAG-AFTRA members chimed in on the Halloween guidelines on social media, with Ryan Reynolds saying, “I look forward to screaming ‘scab’ at my 8 year old all night. She’s not in the union but she needs to learn.”

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - JULY 17: Striking SAG-AFTRA members picket with striking WGA (Writers Guild of America) workers outside Warner Bros. Studio on July 17, 2023 in Burbank, California. Members of SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood’s largest union which represents actors and other media professionals, have joined the striking writers in the first joint walkout against the studios since 1960. The strike could shut down Hollywood productions completely with writers in the third month of their strike against the Hollywood studios. — BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JULY 17: Striking SAG-AFTRA members picket with striking WGA (Writers Guild of America) workers outside Warner Bros. Studio on July 17, 2023 in Burbank, California. Members of SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood’s largest union which represents actors and other media professionals, have joined the striking writers in the first joint walkout against the studios since 1960. The strike could shut down Hollywood productions completely with writers in the third month of their strike against the Hollywood studios. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

SAG-AFTRA also suggested actors “don’t post photos of costumes inspired by struck content to social media.”

This statement was given to not give any additional publicity to studios.

SAG-AFTRA met with the AMPTP last week to negotiate, but talks fell apart.

Meanwhile, Drescher is working to hold the actors guild together and convince members to stay the course. “This too shall pass,” she said Thursday. “But this is the moment where we don’t succumb to pressure. This is the moment where we stand tall and we hold firm.”