Skip to main content
BoF Logo

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Report: Anne Hathaway Walks Out of Vanity Fair Photoshoot in Union Solidarity

Anne Hathaway at the Fashion Awards 2023.
Anne Hathaway at the Fashion Awards 2023. (BFC)

Film star Anne Hathaway reportedly walked out of a photoshoot in New York on Tuesday for Vanity Fair in a show of solidarity with striking workers for the magazine’s publisher, Condé Nast.

The actor had been prepared with make-up and hair styling but had not begun posing for pictures when word reached her that media workers were taking part in a 24-hour work stoppage amid union-corporation negotiations, Variety magazine was first to report on Tuesday.

About 400 workers who are union members at Condé Nast and working for titles including Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ and others had downed pens in a protest at the way the publisher is negotiating over lay-offs.

Hathaway was on the premises for photoshoot on Tuesday morning.

ADVERTISEMENT

“They hadn’t even started taking photos yet,” Variety magazine reported an unnamed source telling the outlet, adding: “Once Anne was made aware of what was going on, she just got up from hair and makeup and left.”

The Guardian has reached out to Condé Nast and representatives of Hathaway for comment.

Workers walked off the job in the morning around the time the Oscar nominations were announced, Variety further reported, and held a rally outside the company’s offices in Manhattan.

The union posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Thank you Anne Hathaway for not crossing our picket line.”

Learn more:

Condé Nast Set to Lay Off 5 Percent of Workforce

The publisher of titles like Vogue and Vanity Fair announced in a note sent to employees on Tuesday that it would lay off 5 percent of its workforce — around 270 employees, primarily in its video division, Condé Nast Entertainment — following a restructuring.

In This Article

© 2026 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Media
How fashion media is adapting its approach to content, platforms and business models.

What to Do When Reddit Turns on Your Brand

With the platform’s posts now shaping Google search and AI chatbot results, fashion brands need to listen to the site’s millions of users – even when they don’t like what they have to say.


view more
Latest News & Analysis
Unrivalled, world class journalism across fashion, luxury and beauty industries.

Estée Lauder’s Surprise Acquisition, Explained

The American cosmetic giant’s buyout of Ayurvedic beauty line Forest Essentials came as a surprise. By picking an under-the-radar brand it knows well, the company can show that it’s still in the M&A game without needing to outbid rivals.


VIEW MORE
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON