David Simon slams his haters after vowing not to film in Texas over its new abortion law

Texas – David Simon, creator of The Wire, is doubling down on his decision to pull filming of his upcoming HBO miniseries from Texas over the state's new abortion law.

Producer and writer David Simon said he would pull production of an upcoming HBO miniseries from Texas over its abortion ban.
Producer and writer David Simon said he would pull production of an upcoming HBO miniseries from Texas over its abortion ban.  © Collage: Imago/ZUMA Wire

Twitter trolls are nothing new for Simon, and his responses to those throwing shade his way for threatening to pull filming from Texas over its abortion ban proves he's well-versed in dealing with any and all sorts of backlash.

On Monday, the writer and producer shook things up on Twitter by saying he, "can't and won't ask female cast [and] crew to forgo [their] civil liberties" in order to film in Texas for his upcoming HBO miniseries.

The non-fiction miniseries is based on events in Texas, initially making it a no-brainer to film the show there.

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However, Simon is now seeking a location outside the state for filming due to Texas' new abortion law that disallows the procedure at and after the six-week mark of pregnancy, claiming it would be unethical to carry out filming due to the restrictive law.

Many were less-than-thrilled about Simon's announcement, with the Dallas Film and Creative Industries Office raising concerns about how this might hurt professionals working within the film industry across the state of Texas.

The organization replied to Simon's initial tweet, writing, "Not bringing a production to Dallas (a big "D") only serves to further disenfranchise those that live here. We need talent/crew/creatives to stay & vote, not get driven out by inability to make a living."

On Thursday, Twitter user Seven Chaperon shared a similar sentiment, writing, "People like @AoDespair want to boycott Texas because of civil liberties. I get that, but in reality there are women who work in film in TX. Taking away our [money] helps nothing. If someone gets pregnant AND is out of work, how does that help?"

Sounding off on the haters

Women rally at the Texas State Capitol in protest of an abortion ban that was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.
Women rally at the Texas State Capitol in protest of an abortion ban that was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.  © IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Not one to let comments like this slide, Simon replied, first calling them "dead wrong" for saying he was boycotting anything.

"I am instead an employer, and I personally must decide if it is ethical to ask employees to enter a jurisdiction which requires them to forgo THEIR civil liberties. It is not ethical for me to do so. Texas requires this forced move. Not me," Simon wrote.

On Friday, The Wire creator made it glaringly clear that he was not going to change course or back down, and it showed in his responses.

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Replying to someone who implied the only rights that were being stripped from women in Texas was their "right" to "kill babies", Simon sarcastically said, "To kill babies they need to be in season, and you have to have the proper game and wildlife permits. To abort an embryo or fetus in the first two trimesters is indeed a civil liberty. Now f*** right off, Robby."

One Twitter user by the name of John S. threatened to get rid of their HBO account altogether "because of a**wipes like you", to which Simon replied, "This will [be] economically devastating, John. Mooks who still believe the election was stolen from Donald Trump are no doubt the essential HBO market share."

While Simon neglected to share any other details about his upcoming HBO miniseries, it's not looking like the 61-year-old will be budging on his decision, unless Texas' abortion law changes prior to the start of production.

Cover photo: Collage: Imago/ZUMA Wire

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