Tiffany Haddish has announced she’s postponing her upcoming performance in Atlanta due to Georgia’s controversial abortion ban.
Haddish was set to hit the stage on June 22 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. She explained her decision to cancel in a statement to Refinery29.
“After much deliberation, I am postponing my upcoming show in Atlanta. I love the state of Georgia, but I need to stand with women and until they withdraw Measure HB481, I cannot in good faith perform there.”
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed a so-called “heartbeat bill” into law in May that bans abortions in Georgia as early as six weeks into pregnancy. States such as Alabama and Missouri have passed similar bans, drawing outrage from including organizations including the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, as well as Hollywood.
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Georgia has become a popular production spot for the film and TV industry, with movies such as Avengers: Endgame and shows like Netflix’s Insatiable filmed there. But since Kemp signed the bill into law, numerous Hollywood stars, including Haddish, Alyssa Milano, Gabrielle Union, and Amber Tamblyn, have refused to perform or film in the state.
Others, such as Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams, will continue filming in the state but will donate all profits to organizations fighting the abortion ban. This is exactly what Ariana Grande recently did when she donated all the proceeds from her Atlanta concert to Planned Parenthood. These are moves that some Democrats support, like Kemp’s 2018 challenger, Stacey Abrams.
Abrams recently traveled to Hollywood and urged industry leaders and stars not to boycott the state over the law.
“The solution to this challenge does not come simply from removing economic opportunities,” Abrams told NPR. “If we want a permanent solution, we need a permanent change. And that means investing in political change in the state of Georgia. And that's why I need people to stay and fight.”