Background Actor Files Lawsuit Against Apple Studios for Labor Violations on ‘Palm Royale’ Set

Apple Studios is facing a lawsuit over alleged violations of California labor laws on the set of their latest production, “Palm Royale.” The lawsuit, filed by Daniel Ferguson in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses the studio of failing to pay background actors for all the hours they worked and not providing legally-mandated meal breaks.

Ferguson claims that during his four months of work on the set of “Palm Royale” in 2022, Apple Studios did not properly calculate the pay of background actors and engaged in other violations of state labor law. The lawsuit alleges that background actors were required to work through unpaid meal breaks and before and after their scheduled work hours.

The complaint also states that Apple Studios failed to pay minimum, straight time, and overtime wages, did not provide legally compliant meal periods, and did not furnish accurate wage statements to employees. The lawsuit further claims that some of the work should have been paid at the overtime rate and that final paychecks for terminated employees were not properly calculated.

The proposed class action lawsuit brings claims for unfair competition, failure to pay minimum and overtime wages, and failure to provide meal periods, among others. Apple Studios has not yet responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

“Palm Royale,” a satire starring Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, and Ricky Martin, follows the story of a former pageant queen trying to break into high society in 1960s Florida. The lawsuit sheds light on the alleged labor violations that occurred behind the scenes of this production.