In a surprise move, film star Anne Hathaway stunned everyone by ditching a Vanity Fair photoshoot in New York, standing in solidarity with the magazine's publisher Conde Nast's striking workers. Makeup and hair done, she walked out upon learning of the 24-hour protest against the publisher's handling of layoffs. About 400 unionized employees from Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ, and others halted work to protest negotiation tactics. This high-profile support from Hathaway adds fuel to the ongoing battle between Conde Nast and its workers.
The employees were protesting against unfair layoff talks. Arriving for a shoot, actress Anne Hathaway wasn't told about the action, but upon learning, she sided with the workers and walked out.
"They hadn't even started taking photos yet," a source told Variety. "Once Anne was made aware of what was going on, she just got up from her hair and makeup and left."
The work stoppage coincided with the announcement of the 2024 Oscar nominations, which took place Tuesday morning. Employees at Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ, Allure, Conde Nast Entertainment, Architectural Digest, Glamour, Self, Teen Vogue, and other Conde Nast publications walked to hold a rally in front of the company's offices in New York.
Videos posted to the union's X/Twitter show protesters holding signs that read, "Layoffs are out of fashion." They can also be chanting, "Say it loud, say it clear; winter's extra cold this year," an obvious play on Anna Wintour's name.
Pitchfork and men's magazine GQ were merged by Conde Nast last week, leading to layoffs at the digital music publication. This restructuring included the departure of editor-in-chief Puja Patel.
