Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was met with heavy jeering while delivering a commencement speech at Boston University amidst the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike in Hollywood.
During the graduation ceremony at Boston University – where he received his law degree in 1985 – Zaslav was invited back to receive an honorary degree, as well as to deliver a commencement speech to the graduation cohort.
Per reports from The Hollywood Reporter, the jeering began even before Zaslav’s speech, when he was being introduced. Throughout his 20-minute speech, Zaslav was met with loud, angry boos and chants including “pay your writers”, “we don’t want you here” and “shut up, Zaslav” in support of the ongoing strike.
Footage of the boos and “pay your writers” chants were captured and shared on Twitter by striking Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Mike Scollins. “Zaslav getting hit with a Pay Your Writers chant in Boston. This is so good,” Scollins wrote.
Zaslav getting hit with a Pay Your Writers chant in Boston. This is so good. pic.twitter.com/00pL4ahAqZ
— Mike Scollins (@mikescollins) May 21, 2023
One particular segment of Zaslav’s speech that was met with heavy boos, saw the exutive saying: “Some people will be looking for a fight. But don’t be the one they find it with. Focus on good people’s qualities. In my career, I’ve seen so many talented people lose opportunities or jobs because they couldn’t get along with others. You can’t choose the people you work with. Figure out what you like about a person — there’s always something — and do whatever it takes to navigate their challenges. We all have them.”
Zaslav reportedly did not mention the WGA strike during his speech, but spoke of being “immensely supportive” of striking writers in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: “As I have often said, I am immensely supportive of writers and hope the strike is resolved soon and in a way that they feel recognizes their value.”
TV shows and films that have been affected since the strike began earlier this month include Stranger Things, Blade, Daredevil: Born Again, Yellowjackets, Abbott Elementary and many more.
