"I have been and will always stand with my union members of the WGA, SAG, and DGA."
Matt Walsh is bidding bye-bye to the ballroom — at least for now.
The Veep actor, who was set to star on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars, announced that he would not be competing on the dance program until the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike has officially been resolved.
"I am taking a pause from Dancing With the Stars until an agreement is made with the WGA," Walsh wrote in a statement published in an Instagram Story on Thursday. "I was excited to join the show and did so under the impression that it was not a WGA show and fell under a different agreement."
After learning otherwise, Walsh, who is a member of the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), quickly sashayed off stage. "This morning when I was informed by my union, the WGA, that it is considered struck work, I walked out of my rehearsal," he said. "I have been and will always stand with my union members of the WGA, SAG, and [the Directors Guild of America]."
Walsh concluded, "Beyond our union artists, I am sensitive to the many people impacted by the strike, and I hope for a speedy and fair resolution and to one day work again with all the wonderful people I met at DWTS who tolerated my dancing."
DWTS, which typically employs at least one WGA writer each season, is considered a struck production by the WGA. In recent days, guild members have been picketing outside the show's rehearsals, with some signs directly criticizing Walsh's involvement, ahead of its Sept. 26 premiere.
Walsh isn't the only actor who has been called out for joining the show. Alyson Hannigan and Mira Sorvino have also come under fire for their involvement because they, too, are members of SAG-AFTRA. However, the pair are not technically violating any strike protocols by appearing on Dancing With the Stars because, as Sorvino explained, all reality, unscripted, and competition programs operate under a separate contract.
The WGA has been on strike since May 2 after failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP). They are seeking higher wages as well as clearer contract provisions, overall protection for writers, and more.
Representatives for ABC did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.