Billy Porter Says ‘I Have to Sell My House’ Due to Strikes, Slams Bob Iger for Saying ‘Our Demands for a Living Wage Are Unrealistic’: ‘F— You’

Billy Porter revealed in a recent interview with Evening Standard that he has to sell his house amid the ongoing strikes in Hollywood in order to save money. Porter, an Emmy winner for his work on FXs Pose, was speaking to the outlet to promote his music career and steered clear of discussing any of his film and television work.

When the topic of the strikes was brought up, Porter shared that hes having to take cost-saving measure as various projects he was set to work on in September have been tabled.

I have to sell my house, Porter said. Yeah! Because were on strike. And I dont know when were gonna go back. The life of an artist, until you make fuck-you money which I havent made yet is still check-to-check. I was supposed to be in a new movie and on a new television show starting in September. None of that is happening. So to the person who said, Were going to starve them out until they have to sell their apartments youve already starved me out.

Porter was referring to an article published in July by Deadline that cited an anonymous Hollywood executive saying the studios would hold out on meeting with the WGA again until its members went broke. The actor also lambasted Disney CEO Bob Iger for a July 13 interview he gave at the Sun Valley Conference in which he said WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikers were not being realistic with their demands.

In the late 50s, early 60s, when they structured a way for artists to be compensated properly through residual [payments], it allowed for the two percent of working actors and there are 150,000 people in our union who work consistently Then streaming came in, Porter said. Theres no contract for itAnd they dont have to be transparent with the numbers its not Nielsen ratings anymore. The streaming companies are notoriously opaque with their viewership figures. The business has evolved. So the contract has to evolve and change, period. To hear Bob Iger say that our demands for a living wage are unrealistic? While he makes $78,000 a day?

I dont have any words for it, but: fuck you, Porter added about Iger. Thats not useful, so Ive kept my mouth shut. I havent engaged because Im so enraged When I go back I will join the picket lines.

When asked about the strikes in July, Iger responded: Its very disturbing to me. Weve talked about disruptive forces on this business and all the challenges were facing, the recovery from COVID which is ongoing, its not completely back. This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption Theres a level of expectation that [strikers] have, that is just not realistic. And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher also slammed Igers comments in an interview with Variety, calling them terribly repugnant, out of touch and positively tone deaf.

I dont think it served him well, Drescher added. If I were that company, I would lock him behind doors and never let him talk to anybody about this, because its so obvious that he has no clue as to what is really happening on the ground with hard working people that dont make anywhere near the salary he is making. High seven figures, eight figures, this is crazy money that they make, and they dont care if theyre land barons of a medieval time.

Head over to Evening Standards website to read Porters latest profile in its entirety.