WIF Transfers Entertainment Industry Helpline to Hollywood Commission

Women In Film is transferring operations of its Entertainment Industry Helpline to the Hollywood Commission, which is in the midst of expanding its resources to help combat workplace abuse.

WIF will continue to support the helpline and its ongoing services, including legal and counseling resources for anyone who has experienced harassment, abuse or discrimination while working in the entertainment industry. 

The helpline was established by WIF in 2017 in the wake of the #MeToo movement in response to the lack of resources for people who experience harassment or abuse on set or in other entertainment workplaces. In 2022, it expanded to offer support and resources to those who have experienced any kind of discrimination, harassment or abuse while working in the industry. In July of 2023, WIF began offering resources and support for strike-affected workers through the helpline.

“When we started the helpline in 2017, it was clear that the industry needed this resource and no one else was doing it,” WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer said Thursday. “After nearly seven years and an expanded mandate, the time is right to pass the baton. The Hollywood Commission — with its broad base of support from the industry’s biggest companies — is the right home for a helpline that is open to all workers who experience bullying, harassment, discrimination or abuse.”

The transfer of the helpline comes shortly after the Hollywood Commission’s launch of MyConnext, an online resource that can assist entertainment workers with reporting harassment and share information on various options in doing so.

“The Entertainment Industry Helpline is a critical part of our ecosystem, filling a gap for some of the industry’s most vulnerable workers,” said Malia Arrington, executive director of the Hollywood Commission. “It is a vitally important independent voice, providing guidance to all industry workers on a range of questions, from understanding options to finding the right support.”