Warner Bros Discovery CEO Booed at Boston University Graduation Amid WGA Strike

Graduates and audience members at Boston University’s graduation ceremony in Massachusetts booed Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav as he gave the commencement address on Sunday, May 21, amid the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

Video filmed by Isabella Putorti shows the moment Zaslav took the stage at Boston University’s Nickerson Field to the sounds of boos from the audience.

The audience was also heard chanting “Pay your writers” during Zaslav’s speech, footage from the event’s livestream showed.

Outside the ceremony, picketers representing unions and student groups marched in solidarity with WGA strikers. The protesters held signs promoting local unions and emblazoned with anti-Zaslav slogans. Credit: Isabella Putorti via Storyful

Video Transcript

- [INAUDIBLE] escort our honored guest to the podium.

- Will he start running?

- Oh, yeah, for sure.

- Mr. President, trustees walk behind. Mr. President, I have the honor to present David Zaslav for Boston University's honorary degree.

[JEERING]

- Boo.

[CLAPPING]

- Yeah, yeah.

- Oh, he's suddenly referred to.

- David Zaslav, you are a lawyer, executive, and media visionary. But above all, you are a storyteller. At your core you know the best stories can inform, transport, adapt, and change.

They are the oxygen of our human shared experience. At the core of Warner Brothers Discovery, you build film, television, and digital platforms that have helped--