Dustin Lance Black, an Oscar-winning screenwriter best known for the 2008 biopic “Milk,” pulled his endorsement for L.A. Mayoral candidate Nithya Raman after she was an alleged “no show” at a fundraising event he held for her.
On Sunday, the Oscar winner took to Instagram and uploaded a video explaining why he was now endorsing incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.
“They are both exception people, but I gotta say, with the challenges ahead, I think the most important thing to do is to have experience and to show up,” Black said. “One of the candidates showed up as she promised, and the other did not. And so, I’m going to be voting for Karen Bass for mayor of Los Angeles.”
Black reportedly hosted a campaign fundraiser, called “A Reception with Nithya Raman,” for Raman back in October. However, as Black claimed in the comments of his upload, Raman never made it to the event.
While responding to actor Paul Scheer, who appeared to voice concerns about Bass’ dedication to Hollywood, Black noted he had “other issues” with Raman, but specifically called out her “no show” status at his fundraising event.
“Among other issues, Raman was a no show to an event she personally reached out and asked us to hold for her,” he wrote. “Her staff then lied about the reasons why she vanished—with no heads up. If this were unique to us I would have taken the knock. But in conversations with other previous Raman supporters I discovered this is Raman’s way.”
He added: “I too had been a supporter, but it turns out she is not a dependable politician. Unfortunately. Not the kind of change that is going to help this city we both love, Paul.”
A representative for Raman did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
In his video, Black also explained that the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles influenced his decision to change his endorsement. Black, who is married to Olympian Tom Daley, noted, “If you’re going to put on a world-class games, you have to have the relationships with the people to pull it off, you got to understand the city, and you got to show up. And I want to show off Los Angeles in these Olympics.”
Raman and Bass are polling neck and neck ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day, which is why Black’s endorsement was so notable. He joined the likes of Jane Fonda, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Anderson and Yvette Nicole Brown, all of whom previously endorsed Bass in the 2026 L.A. mayoral race.
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