Anne-Marie Johnson, the first vice president of the Screen Actors Guild, on Wednesday called on fellow actors to rescind any donations they had made to the Motion Picture and Television Fund for the long-term care facility, which the fund is attempting to close.
“If there are actors who are really concerned about the well-being and health of the long-term care facility – and if you’ve designated money, change your living trust,” she said in an interview with TheWrap.
“It’s recoverable. If you’ve designated money to the long term care facility, and you’re not pleased with what’s going on, then designate another charitable entity. “
The MPTF has been trying to close the long-term care facility for more than a year, saying it was losing money and an untenable drain on the fund. But families of the residents have pushed back.
Johnson has rescinded her own pledge to the MPTF in her living trust, redirecting the money to Saint Jude Hospital, she said.
“The Motion Picture Fund was part of the group of charities that I wanted my residuals to be targetted to,” Johnson said. “Residuals go on forever we hope, and I desginated a percentage of my residuals in living trust. But when it was determined that there was no desire for the powers that be to keep their promise, I figured I’d break my promise and redirect my monies in another direction.”
Johnson spoke in the wake of the news on Tuesday that George Clooney was working with SAG President Ken Howard to organize major donations from A-list celebrities to save the facility.
See previous: MPTF Saviors? Clooney, SAG Chief Want Celeb Fundraiser