Reddit Blind Item - Second Season Strippers

My coworkers and I play recurring strippers on the second season of a TV series.

Our costumes range from bras, thongs, and thigh highs to traditional stripper monokinis, g-strings, and leg wraps depending on the scene. We’re always in “stripper heels” and, when not on camera, are always in cover robes or our personal long jackets. Being a burlesque dancer, as most of my coworkers are also, we do these kind of roles pretty often, but having a recurring gig that pays daily about the same as a weekly show does is pretty rad.

The Director of the first episode we were on, who is also the Executive Producer, took a liking to us on the first day, which isn’t uncommon. Usually casting sends in girls that are just “hot” and can dance, but we are a group of professionals and know how to make the right faces and how to play to camera.

He spoke with us individually to find out our stories and what we do for a living and, by the end of the day, had given us his personal number to ensure that we were cast as the “core group” from now on. Now, I know that this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be done, but it’s really not uncommon. I’ve regularly had Directors of Photography and Directors alike do the same so that I could contact we could remain in contact for future productions as a stand in, photo double, for a quick part, etc. It shouldn’t, but it happens.

Now, all of that preface work to get to this: while he is personally ensuring that we get good camera time and are cast every time they need strippers (this show needs them a lot), he has asked some of us for “[our] picture”, “sexy pics”, “some pictures”, etc. We all have professional photos that are already on our websites and Instagrams, so we just sent those to keep the relationship above water without sacrificing our dignity.

Yesterday, I was the only one of the main crew there and, while having him on set ensured that I got great coverage and was treated really well generally, he texted me later asking me to text him this weekend “If [I] wanna grab a drink or a coffee”.

My question is this: Is there any legal action we can take other than suing him or production?

Since he’s the Executive Producer of the show we’ve been contracted to by casting, is there any workers’ protection for us against this kind of sexual harassment from what is essentially our boss?

I know that he’s just a creepy old man and we shouldn’t have to comply, yada yada, but sadly this is how the industry is for women, especially women who play strippers, escorts, hookers, etc. People on set seem to forget that we’re just actors and not really the people we play, so we suffer this kind of harassment regularly.

Source: Reddit