Taraji P. Henson says she's still not being paid fairly in Hollywood
Taraji P. Henson says she's still not being paid fairly in Hollywood: "I’m just supposed to smile and grin and bear it. Enough is enough!"
"Every time I break another glass ceiling, when it’s time to renegotiate I’m at the bottom again like I never did what I just did and I’m… pic.twitter.com/4faAlm6xTP
- Zack Sharf (@ZSharf) December 20, 2023
Taraji P. Henson broke down in tears during an interview.
She was asked if she was still thinking about quitting acting,
Henson revealed she has hit her breaking point in Hollywood since she continues to be underpaid.
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost. I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ Well, I have to. The math ain’t math-ing. When you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. It’s a whole team behind us. They have to get paid. When you hear someone go, ‘Such and such made $10 million,’ that didn’t make it to their account. Off the top, Uncle Sam is getting 50%. Now have $5 million. Your team is getting 30% off what you gross, not after what Uncle Same took. Now do the math. I’m only human. Every time I do something and break another glass ceiling, when it’s time to renegotiate I’m at the bottom again like I never did what I just did, and I’m tired. I’m tired. It wears on you. What does that mean? What is that telling me? If I can’t fight for them coming up behind me then what the fuck am I doing?”
Despite her various successes, she still gets told there’s not a lot of money on the table because Black actors and stories don’t translate overseas, among other excuses.
“I’m tired hearing of that my entire career. Twenty-plus years in the game and I hear the same thing and I see what you do for another production but when it’s time to go to bat for us they don’t have enough money. And I’m just supposed to smile and grin and bear it. Enough is enough! That’s why I have other [brands] because this industry, if you let it, it will steal your soul. I refuse to let that happen.”
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