Comedian Tiffany Haddish cancels upcoming Atlanta show and asks Georgia to take back new restrictive abortion law
Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish has decided to cancel her upcoming show in Atlanta due to Georgia's new restrictive abortion laws and also sent her statement to ticket holders on Saturday, June 15.
Her statement read that she could not "in good faith" perform in Georgia unless the state withdraws the new laws. She was scheduled to perform at the Fox Theatre on June 22 and while the tour is still listed on her website, the link to buy tickets has been disabled. The new and controversial law bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. This can be as early as six weeks before many women even know that they are pregnant.
The law has been set to be enacted in 2020 unless it is blocked in court. The ACLU has already announced that the group will start a legal challenge. Haddish's announcement follows the decision of many Hollywood studios who said that they could be reevaluating filming in Georgia if the law goes into effect. Singer Ariana Grande meanwhile donated all of her proceeds from her sold-out Atlanta concert to Planned Parenthood.
Grande donated almost $250,000 only a month after the fetal heartbeat law had been passed. Many company executives and Hollywood players have also warned that they will pull investments in states which are enacting the controversial law which limits and restrict abortion rights. According to a report by DailyMail, Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Bob Iger said that it would be "very difficult" to continue filming in Georgia if the law banning abortion is enacted.
Many others have also echoed the same sentiment including WarnerMedia — which includes HBO, Turner, and Warner Bros. — and NBCUniversal who have vowed to keep a close eye on the situation. In 2018, Georgia's film and TV industry had generated $9.5 billion and has also been the location for massive megahit movies such as 'Black Panther' and 'Avengers: Endgame' all thanks to the state offered tax credits which attracted many of the biggest Hollywood studios.
Around 445 productions were shot in Georgia last year. More than 180 technology, media, and fashion executives also signed an open letter on abortion rights and argued that conservative efforts to restrict comprehensive reproductive care would be extremely bad for business. Businesses such as Bloomberg, Ben & Jerry's and The Body Shop signed their name on the letter which asked the private sector to "stand up for reproductive healthcare".
The letter also argued that reducing access to abortion "threatens the health, independence and economic stability of our employees and customers." Nine states including Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri have passed abortion laws this year.