Elizabeth Hurley can now have a clear conscience.
The “Bedazzled” starlet was slapped with a $100,000 fine by the Screen Actors Guild for shooting an Estee Lauder cosmetics commercial during the six-month-long actors strike against the ad industry, the actress disclosed today.
“Although I am deeply disappointed that the Trial Board disregarded the evidence showing that I never received notice of the strike, I will abide by their decision,” the 35-year-old supermodel turned actress said in a statement.
“I apologize most sincerely to all of the people throughout the industry who were hurt by the strike. … I certainly never would have appeared in the commercial had I been aware of the strike,” she continued.
Along with other strikebreakers, Hurley was labeled a scab in October for doing struck work. Her last film, “Bedazzled,” was picketed by angry union members at the film’s premiere.
For her part, Hurley has already donated $25,000 to the SAG strike relief fund as a gesture of atonement. But the union has asked the actress to pay $75,000 more, which would make up the rest of the $100K fine.
Champion golfer Tiger Woods was similarly fined $100,000 in November for doing a non-union Nike ad during the work stoppage. But Woods is only required to pay half of the fine up front, with the remaining amount suspended as long as the golfer doesn’t violate his five-year-probation period.
Overall, the monetary fines — however steep it might seem — are comparatively a small prize to pay given that the strikebreakers could well face union expulsion as a penalty, which would disallow them to work again in the industry.
