Yahoo Finance ‘Truth Be Told’ Filming In LA’s Leimert Plaza Park Shut Down By Protestors
EXCLUSIVE: Truth be told, Thursday proved a tense day on the set of Truth Be Told.
A shoot at South L.A.’s historic Leimert Plaza Park for the second season of the AppleTV+ crime drama was suddenly cut short today when local protestors vehemently objected to the crew and cast’s presence.
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Referred to as “community members,” by FilmLA, the protestors were primarily concerned with the plight of the homeless in the City of Angels and the announced presence of the Octavia Spencer starrer became the object of their ire. Specifically, the organized protestors objected to how filming was allowed to go on in areas like Leimert Plaza Park while the jurisdiction have been denied to those without a roof over their heads. Though the gates at Leimert Plaza Park are now open during the day, many parks have been locked up or greatly restricted by civic officials in recent months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With around ten Truth Be Told crew members on location, the FilmLA permitted shoot came to a halt around 3 PM as things got heated very quickly, I hear. Nearby vendors wanted the filming to continue, even though some protestors said that they were there for the vendors themselves.
For Truth Be Told, the plan had been to film a flashback scene for Spencer’s crime podcast host Poppy Parnell character and her old friend Micah Keith, portrayed by Kate Hudson. The Almost Famous star joined Truth Be Told last October for its second season as a key player. Because the focus was on a flashback, neither Oscar winner Spencer nor Hudson were actually in attendance. Yet, there were two actresses in the park Thursday playing the younger Parnell and Havilland. They made their retreat with the rest of the production.
LAPD were on the scene soon afterwards the situation began to escalate.
After today, it is highly unlikely that Truth Be Told will be returning to Leimert Plaza Park anytime soon , I hear. Other locations that meet the Nichelle Tramble Spellman created show’s needs are being secured it seems.
Renewed for a second season on the tech giant’s streaming service last March, Truth Be Told is produced by Hello Sunshine, Chernin Entertainment and Endeavor Content. Contacted by Deadline about the incident at Leimert Plaza Park this afternoon, Endeavor had no comment on the matter.
Confirming the incident, FilmLA did comment on what happened today in Leimert Plaza Park. “It’s my understanding that the production company struck its set for the evening sometime around 5 PM,” the local non-profit permitting organization’s Phillip Sokoloski told Deadlne.
New York City has the sad title of homeless capital of America, however LA has seen its unhoused population sky rocket over the last decade. Estimated to be anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000, the homeless in the home of Hollywood has become all the more apparent during Covid-19 lockdown and restrictions.
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