Leno Agrees To Pay Striking Staff
Talk show “host” Jay Leno has agreed to pay laid-off members of his Tonight Show staff – after he was heavily criticized for not offering to pick up their paychecks amid the ongoing writers’ strikes.
Unlike peers David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, Leno – who makes an estimated $27 million a year – had refused to cover the salaries of his show staff out of his own pocket after they were made redundant on Friday. But after facing a severe backlash from striking workers, the star has relented and agreed to pay his staff a week’s wages, according to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.
The lay-offs at the Tonight Show are the latest casualties in the ongoing battle between the Writers Guild of America and producers over royalties. The strike immediately shut down the late-night comedy shows and has gradually affected the production of many network-produced prime-time series, including Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.
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