The Writers Guild of America’s fight for equitable wages took a perilous turn on Thursday when longtime Black Mafia Family producer, Ian Woolf, allegedly threatened picketers with his SUV. Several witnesses claimed that Woolf sped towards the picket line in Atlanta where the series is being produced, only to abruptly slam on the brakes right before hitting anyone as an attempt to scare the demonstrators. Woolf has now been suspended from the Starz drama series, and producers at Lionsgate Television have initiated an investigation into the incident.
“Lionsgate deeply regards acts of intimidation and violence, and we take them very seriously. As we continue to investigate, we have suspended the individual involved,” stated Lionsgate representatives to The Hollywood Reporter.
The 50 Cent-produced series tells the story of brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, who founded the titular Black Mafia Family crime organization, which was in production on its third season.
Two of the individuals Woolf targeted were writers Brian Egeston and Gabriel Alejandro Garza, the latter of whom is also a strike captain. Egeston denounced Woolf’s actions on Twitter as “hateful” and evoked the many recent cases of violence against African Americans. He further pointed out that Woolf was conscious of what he was doing when driving his vehicle towards the protesters.
Garza’s account lined up with Egeston’s story, revealing in his own lengthy statement that Woolf tried to scare them twice during the confrontation. Garza said he was wearing a reflective orange vest, and both he and Egeston weren’t obstructing traffic, any driveways, or the parking lot in the area. All that was behind the duo was a tree. After nearly threatening the picketers’ lives, Woolf approached Garza and Egeston to verify their WGA cards, and according to Garza, he admitted to attempting to scare them twice. They recorded the incident, including Woolf introducing himself at the site, and would likely share that recording with Lionsgate as the investigation continues.
Another writer, Diya Mistra, was also present, verifying Garza and Egeston’s version. Beyond that, she wrote on Twitter that when the producer admitted “I was trying to scare you” to the strikers and spoke about his actions afterward, he was “completely without remorse.”
This latest writer’s strike is the first since 2007 and revolves majorly around securing fair wages for the individuals in the writers’ room amidst the changes of the streaming age. While opportunities in Hollywood are plentiful, writers for popular shows find it challenging to secure lucrative employment, and the Minimum Basic Agreement, which is supposed to protect them, is becoming even less profitable due to inflation. Moreover, they face a stark reality where A.I. could soon replace them. The U.S. Constitution guarantees their right to free speech and peaceful protests for these changes.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
