David Spade slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for what he described as Hollywood's decline, blaming their leadership for the industry's struggles.
The former "Saturday Night Live" cast member said on a recent episode of his "Fly on the Wall" podcast, "The Hollywood industry is dying." He added that he is "just trying to put the blame somewhere."
He pointed to the bankruptcy of the CBS Radford Studio Center in Studio City as a sign of how much the industry has changed. The lot has long been home to major film and television productions.
"Dude, I'm so old. I was on the lot at CBS Radford when we were doing 'Just Shoot Me' ... and also they were doing 'Seinfeld,' and I'd see him on his bike," Spade said of his time there. "It was the greatest lot.
"Of course, just filed for bankruptcy, the lot. Terrifying in LA. Thanks, Karen Bass. Thanks, [Gov.] Gavin [Newsom]."
His co-host Dana Carvey said he sees the same trend, calling it a sign that the "Hollywood studio system is dying."
He argued that bringing production back will require changes to how the industry is supported.
"The amount of productions is dying, and so they have to do something so more production comes back, and that starts with negotiating with the union and also subsidizing the industry tax breaks to compete with Romania," Carvey said.
City officials pushed back on the criticism, pointing to efforts already in place to support the industry.
In a statement to Breitbart, Bass' press office said: "Mayor Bass has championed the entertainment industry because it's a bedrock of our middle class.
"The fact of the matter is that Mayor Bass oversaw the creation of California's first Film and TV Tax Credit Program as speaker of the State Assembly and backed its expansion last year."
Recent figures reflect the slowdown. Hollywood lost 17,000 jobs in 2025, an 18% increase from the year before.
FilmLA reported that filming permits in Los Angeles dropped 16% last year, part of a broader 50% decline since 2018.
Christopher Nolan, president of the Directors Guild of America, also raised concerns, saying earlier this month that employment among members is down about 40% and calling it a "very worrying time for the industry," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The issue has also drawn attention in Washington.
In January 2025, President Donald Trump named Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson as special ambassadors to Hollywood, with the goal of bringing the industry "BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!" according to a post on Truth Social.
Voight later emphasized the need for action in a May 2025 interview with Variety, saying, "It's come to a point where we really do need help, and thank God the president cares about Hollywood and movies.
"He has a great love for Hollywood in that way. We've got to roll up our sleeves here. We can't let it go down the drain like Detroit."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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