As more information comes out regarding the separation of immigrant children from their families and the rise of detention camps to hold them, Hollywood is speaking out, particularly against 20th Century Fox’s own news arm, Fox News. In the last 24 hours numerous content creators, directors, and stars have come out to decry Fox News’ support for the Trump administration and its policies. The latest to join the brigade is Modern Family showrunner Steve Levitan.
Levitan echoed sentiments shown by other producers with strong ties to Fox, including Seth MacFarlane. Levitan initially mentioned he was cutting all ties with the Fox as its support of Fox News is “the opposite of what Modern Family stands for.”(His show airs on ABC but is produced by 20th Century Fox Television.) However, probably due to his legal agreement with the network he walked back those statements, taking a wait and see approach “to see where those people land, and at that point, make a decision about my future.” It is worth noting that his current contract with 20th Century Fox Television is set to expire next year giving him an out if he wants it.
The Modern Family creator is just one of many powerful voices speaking out. MacFarlane donated $2 million to NPR in the wake of comments Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson made regarding immigration and Judd Apatow is urging other talent associated with Fox to come out against the news network and it’s incredibly pro-Trump stance. The Fox network is comprised of numerous channels including the FX network and USA. It’s unknown how many other show runners and stars will come out against their parent network. If Levitan were to go this would be a major shake-up for Fox as Modern Family is a major part of their network. With MacFarlane, Paul Feig, and Judd Apatow also showing their distaste, this could screw up Fox’s film and television slate in the coming months. The company is already on thin ice considering it’s rumored buyout by either Disney or Comcast.