JULIA ROBERTS - HOLLYWOOD STARS TO BOYCOTT GOLDEN GLOBES

LATEST: Hollywood stars like JULIA ROBERTS, KEIRA KNIGHTLEY and JOHNNY DEPP look set to boycott next weekend's (13Jan08) Golden Globes ceremony to show their support to striking writers. Actors represented by the Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) are in "unanimous agreement" not to ignore the plight of the Writers Guild of America union members, who are picketing over royalties. Announcing the union's decision on Friday (04Jan08), SAG president, Alan Rosenberg, said, "After considerable outreach to Golden Globe actor nominees and their representatives over the past several weeks, there appears to be unanimous agreement that these actors will not cross WGA (Writers' Guild of America) picket lines." In response to the boycott action, the WGA members thanked the SAG for its "solidarity and support". Other stars nominated for gongs at the prestigious ceremony include George Clooney, John Travolta, Denzel Washington, Cate Blanchett and Jodie Foster - all of whom are unlikely to appear at the awards show if the WGA members do not reach an agreement with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organises the Golden Globes, in time for next Sunday (13Jan08). Knightley, who is up for Best Actress for her starring role in Atonement, is particularly supportive of the strike, because of her playwright mother, Sharman MACDonald. A representative for the British beauty confirms: "If the strike is still in place then Keira won't cross a picket line as her mother is a writer."