In a statement Friday night, Patrick Graham, publisher of the industry-focused website Above the Line, blamed the 2023 Hollywood strike as well as his own “hubris” for the site’s financial problems. He said he will “probably” take the site down for the “short term.”
The statement came in response to the exit of Above the Line editor Edward Douglas, who quit Friday morning with a statement he posted to the site accusing Graham of not paying staffers. “As of now, I’m owed $16,000,” Douglas wrote.
In his response, Graham admitted to not paying staff, writing that “I am to blame” for both the “disgruntled writers and editors that are behind on getting paid” and for “not seeing” the likelihood of the strike or its likely impact.