Matt Walsh Announces ‘Pause’ from ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in Solidarity with Hollywood Strikes

Matt Walsh won’t be putting on his dancing shoes just yet.

Less than a week before the premiere of the film Dancing with the starsthe Veep The 58-year-old star has announced that she will no longer participate in the ABC dance competition amid strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA.

“I am taking a break from ‘Dancing with the Stars’ until an agreement is reached with the WGA,” Walsh said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “I was excited to join the show and I did so under the impression that it was not a WGA show and was under a different contract. When my union, the WGA, informed me this morning that this was considered non-stop work, I walked out of rehearsal.”

“I have been and always will be with my fellow union members WGA, SAG and DGA,” he continued. “In addition to our union artists, I feel for the many people affected by the strike and hope for a quick and just resolution, and to one day work again with all the wonderful people I met on ‘DWTS’ who tolerated my dancing.”

PEOPLE has contacted ABC for comment.

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Walsh, who is also a WGA member, was the only star to miss the Sept. 13 cast announcement on Good morning America. He was to compete with Jamie Lynn Spears, Mauricio Umansky, Jason Mraz, Alyson Hannigan, Mira Sorvino, Adrian Peterson, Barry Williams, Tyson Beckford, Xochitl Gomez, Harry Jowsey, Lele Pons, Ariana Madix and Charity Lawson for the mirrorball trophy.

Walsh’s decision comes amid calls for the series to delay production due to the ongoing Hollywood strikes. However, hours after its announcement, SAG-AFTRA issued a statement supporting the actors who chose to participate in the show’s upcoming season.

“Our members who appear on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ work under a network code agreement, which is a non-contract agreement. They are required to go to work, not violate SAG-AFTRA strike rules, and we support them in fulfilling their contractual obligations. commitment,” a SAG-AFTRA spokesman said in a statement, per Diversity.

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“The program is a non-dramatic SAG-AFTRA production under a separate contract that is not subject to the union’s strike order,” the statement continued. “Most of our members on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ had contractual obligations to the show before the strike. Many are under option contracts that require them to return to the show if the producer exercises his option, which the producer did.”

The organization pointed out that “by not coming to work, our contractors can be considered in violation of the contract, and the Union is prohibited from advising them not to work.”

“It’s important to recognize that SAG-AFTRA is fighting the studios, not the members who are required to go to work every day under other union contracts or personal service agreements,” the spokesperson concluded. “We stand with our union brothers and sisters across the industry as we also recognize our obligations under federal labor law.”

Ahead of Thursday’s news, ex DWTS professional dancer Cheryl Burke said she believes the show should not go on until the strikes are over, saying Diversity, “At the end of the day, we have to stick together because that’s the only way to make any meaningful change.”

Cheryl Burke attends the United Ukrainian Ballet’s performance of “Giselle” at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on June 29, 2023.

Corine Solberg/Getty

“I don’t think it’s going to be good for the show, to be quite honest, in the long run,” she continued. “I understand what they are thinking and I get it. It’s work, but there’s no work without the rest of the work… I think you should be patient. I think we must be as one. We must really unite, not just say we are united.”

David Slack, a protest writer, shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter) about the show’s return, saying, “The writers have been on strike for 139 days and we’re growing. Most of the shows have been shut down. By giving the studios a scripted show, it prolongs the strike, putting every other crew in Hollywood out of a job.”

WGA (Writers Guild of America) workers strike outside Paramount Studios on July 12, 2023.

Mario Tama/Getty

He continued: “I know you are all under contract and this is a difficult situation. But if Drew Barrymore can step up and do the right thing herself, I hope you can do it together in solidarity.”

Writer Bill Wolkoff also said that the WGA members plan to make their voices heard off the show’s set, sharing on x, “I’m glad that this news is finally coming to light. DWTS taping live on CBS TV City. We’re going to have a BIG week at our gathering bringing together the WGA shows that have decided to come back. This extends the strike! Spread the word about it #DWTSisWGA”

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Dancing with the stars — which is still set to premiere Tuesday — has one WGA writer on staff who will return to work when the strike ends, according to Diversity.

The show’s contestants’ video packages will not mention any of their former SAG-AFTRA projects, which cannot be promoted during the strike, according to the media release.

DWTS is the latest series to come under fire amid strikes in Hollywood. The Drew Barrymore Show, Conversation, Show Jennifer Hudson and Real Time with Bill Maher all announced they would delay their season premieres following backlash over the return amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

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Season 32 of Dancing with the stars premieres Tuesday, September 26 on ABC, and will air on Disney+ and Hulu.

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