What in the literal Fast and Furious is going on here? A peaceful WGA picket line turned scary after a BMF producer sped toward two picketing writers.
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Details of the incident emerged after writer Brian Egeston shared the terrifying experience. He and fellow writer Gabrielle Alejandro Garza narrowly escaped injuries and death allegedly at the hands of BMF producer Ian Woolf.
Egeston took to Twitter to recount the moment Woolf’s SUV sped toward them. He said it was “as though it were a weapon and slammed the brakes within six feet of writers.”
Garza, a strike captain, co-signed Egeston’s claims. He noted they were standing on a public sidewalk — not in the line of traffic. Suddenly, Woolf reportedly hit the gas. Garza said Woolf aimed at the strikers with a death stare. He recalled the line producer “looking directly at us the entire time and kept the vehicle pointed at us.”
Ian Woolf Reportedly Said He Tried To “Scare” The Writers After Claiming He “Didn’t See” Them On The Sidewalk
He also maintains that he has recorded evidence to prove Woolf was attempting to “scare” them. Egeston contends Woolf’s actions were clearly a “scare and intimidation tactic.” A tactic Woolf allegedly used more than once that day.
Gabrielle says after Woolf stopped, the producer looked into his eyes as he “hit the accelerator one more time, followed by the brakes, and skid even closer to us.”
Did Woolf have a Good Ol’ Boy flashback when he saw Black and Latinx protestors?
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
He asserts Woolf admitted, “I was trying to scare you” after he initially said, “I didn’t see you guys.”
Gabrielle also noted that he has seen stunt drivers nearly have real accidents this way. Even Woolf pretending he was going to hit the writers endangered their lives.
“I’ve seen trained stunt drivers miss their marks. The difference between coming close to hitting someone, and actually hitting them, is razor thin.” He added, “His maneuver could’ve killed up. Plain and simple.”
Garza and Egeston are minorities, while Woolfe is a White male. This dynamic drudges up old yet poignant emotions as the struggle for equality seems endless.
His tweet continued, “I felt the hate and aggression of scenarios similar to Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and others who have been harmed at the hands of hate-filled oppressors.”
In a separate tweet, Egeston added, “Mr. Woolf, this scare and intimidation tactic reeks of German Shepards, water hoses, bricks and burning flesh. It reeks of the worst kind of hate. A hate that continually divides us as a people.”
Egeston also shared a photo of Woolf in his initial tweet that read, “AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MAN WHO ALMOST KILLED ME ON THE WGA PICKET LINE TODAY.
Lionsgate Suspends Ian Woolf After Alleged Attempt To Hit Striking Writers With His Car
Following the incident, Lionsgate began an investigation.
“We take acts of intimidation and threats of violence seriously and investigate them thoroughly,” Lionsgate told Deadline in a statement. “As we continue to investigate, we have sent home the individual involved.”
A WGA (Writers Guild of America) representative says those who participate in protests should not have to worry about threats of violence and says Woolf should be held accountable for his behavior.
“Workers should not be threatened with physical harm when exercising their right to publicly protest and picket against unfair wages and working conditions. Anyone who harms or threatens to harm a member or supporter of the Writers Guild on a picket line should be held responsible for their actions,” the statement said.
BMF was created by executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. The rapper recently announced leaving Starz due to “racism” and has yet to comment on the incident.
