Earlier this month, the state of Alabama passed one of the nation's most restrictive bans on abortion in recent years, and it sparked a veritable domino effect. Now, both Missouri and Georgia have announced similar anti-abortion bills. The draconian laws would prohibit abortion after a "foetal heartbeat" can be detected, oftentimes before most women have even realised they're pregnant.
Now, actors Sophie Turner and Jessica Chastain have joined a growing list of artists and corporations who say they won't work in states that implement abortion bans.
"There's a letter going around that I signed saying I'm not going to work in any state that denies rights for women, for the LGBTQ community, for anyone," Chastain said. "I'm not going to work in a state that discriminates."
"I have yet to tell my agents I signed it," Turner corroborated. "They're going to be like, 'What? You can't work in these states?' Yeah, I can't work in these states."
The journalist pointed out that Game of Thrones, which Turner starred in as Sansa Stark, was primarily filmed in Northern Ireland, a contentious place when it comes to abortion.
"There was a lot of work on 'Game of Thrones" there,' Turner replied. "So luckily we're moving on."
In related news, streaming service, Netflix, has announced that if Georgia's bill goes ahead, they would "rethink their entire investment" in the state.
As The New York Times reported, this is a significant decision given that Hollywood has been investing heavily in Georgia due to its tax breaks. Over the past few years, blockbusters such as The Hunger Games, Black Panther, and Captain America: Civil War, have all been produced there, as well as Netflix' Stranger Things and Ozark.
"We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law,” said the company's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, in a statement to Variety.
"Given the legislation has not yet been implemented, we’ll continue to film there, while also supporting partners and artists who choose not to. Should it ever come into effect, we’d rethink our entire investment in Georgia"
He added that Netflix would be working "with the ACLU and others to fight [the bill] in court".
This comes after actress Kristen Wigg announced that her upcoming feature, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, would no longer be filmed in the state due to the contentious bill.
Further, actress Alyssa Milano - one of the figureheads of the #MeToo movement - sent a letter to Georgia's governor saying that she would never work in the state again unless the bill was scrapped.
It has since been signed by the likes of Amy Schumer, Alec Baldwin, Ben Stiller, Laverne Cox, Patricia Arquette, and Don Cheadle.
