“Suits” actor Patrick J. Adams issued an apology on Instagram after he was accused of breaking SAG-AFTRA strike rules by posting behind-the-scenes photos from the show, which has become a streaming blockbuster over the last couple months after making its Netflix debut. Many of these “Suits” set photos featured Adams’ former co-star, Meghan Markle.
“The last couple of days I foolishly and thoughtlessly let a trip down ‘Suits’ memory lane distract me from the very real and ongoing fight everyone in SAG-AFTRA continues to wage in its effort to win our membership realistic 21st century compensation and protections,” Adams wrote.
“It was an embarrassing oversight for which I’m incredibly sorry,” he added. “So grateful to those who gently and swiftly course corrected me here and I look forward to continuing the fight in the days and weeks ahead. #sagaftrastrong”
SAG-AFTRA’s strike rules prohibit members from promoting their work, pat or present, via press interviews or social media posts while the strike persists. While the WGA strike recently ended, the SAG-AFTRA strike remains ongoing. The guild and the AMPTP are set to resume talks on Monday, Oct. 2.
Adams is hardly the first actor to be accused of breaking SAG-AFTRA strike rules through social media. In late August, Selena Gomez posted a video on Instagram from what appeared to be the set of her Hulu comedy series “Only Murders in the Building.” She even tagged the show’s official Instagram account in the post’s caption. The post generated over 1.1 million likes in 15 hours before it was pulled from Gomez’s profile amid accusations she was breaking strike rules. Many of Gomez’s followers accused her of scabbing, with one follower calling the post “tone deaf” amid the strikes.
“Suits” has topped the Nielsen streaming charts for 10 consecutive weeks. In its tenth week, the show still pulled in an astounding 2.7 billion minutes streamed.