- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
Huang Hoang, the actress who on Friday was outed in her lawsuit against IMDB for publishing her age, is getting some big-time support from Hollywood’s biggest acting guild.
Late Friday, the Screen Actors Guild issued a statement applauding Hoang for her “determination and courage” in “standing up to fight the unfair and abusive practice of publishing actors’ private information online without their consent.”
“Thousands of actors have had their careers harmed by the unauthorized publication of their birthdates by IMDb against their wishes,” SAG says in a statement to THR. “Screen Actors Guild and its members stand in support of efforts to curtail this invasion of privacy done to enhance a corporate balance sheet.”
Meanwhile, Hoang’s attorney John Dozier is speaking out for the first time about the amended lawsuit, which was first filed anonymously but updated today to include Hoang’s name after a federal judge threatened to dismiss the case.
PHOTOS: 21 of Hollywood’s Ageless Actresses: Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock, Julie Bowen
“We are very disappointed that the judge required the plaintiff to identify herself by name,” Dozier tells THR in an exclusive interview. “But her willingness to do so should be a strong indication that my client is willing to see this case to its conclusion however long that road may be.”
As we’ve reported, Hoang sued IMDb parent Amazon claiming that the popular search database subjected her to discrimination when it used information from her IMDB Pro account to list her age as 40 years old. On Dec. 23, a federal judge gave Dozier 14 days to re-file the case with his client’s real name attached or the case would be tossed.
Now that Hoang has gone public, the Texas-based actress has been inundated with media requests. Today, Good Morning America, E! and other TV outlets, as well as People magazine and other print media, are clamoring for interviews. Dozier says his client isn’t doing press because she doesn’t want to be perceived as suing to obtain media exposure.
SAG took the opportunity Friday to slam IMDb for its practice of revealing ages on its site.
“An actor’s job is to portray someone else. When personal information, like a birthdate, is used to limit who an actor can portray, creativity is harmed, and the actor is harmed,” the statement readas. “Making a living as a middle-class, working actor is already extraordinarily difficult. IMDb’s misguided insistence on publishing private personal information like birthdates makes it even harder.
Email: Matthew.Belloni@thr.com
Twitter: @THRMattBelloni
Related Stories
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day