Taraji P. Henson‘s emotional comments about unfair pay for Black women in Hollywood pulled the heartstrings of many last month. Now, the actress reflects on the enormous reception her candor inspired, and her response may surprise you.
According to Decider, the Empire alum opened up about her most recent viral moment while attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Film Awards earlier this week. She revealed that the response surprised her.
“[It’s] because I’ve been saying it for years,” Henson told Entertainment Tonight on Thursday. “If you go and do research and look at any women of color in the industry, they said the same thing.”
She shared that she doesn’t know “why people decided to hear the words [this time], maybe it was the emotion attached to it. But like I said in the interview, I’m just tired of us having that same conversation. Something’s gotta give.”
Henson appeared on SiriusXM’s town hall with The Color Purple co-star Danielle Brooks and director Blitz Bazawule when she opened up about Hollywood wage disparities. During the interview, she revealed that the issue was so bad she even considered quitting acting.
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost,” she said on the show, adding, “Every time I do something and I break another glass ceiling, when it’s time to re-negotiate, 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 f**k am I doing?”
In December, Brooks confessed that she wasn’t surprised about Henson sharing her feelings on how Hollywood treats Black women.
“She has been talking about it for a while, and it’s good, because that’s her story. She’s sharing her experience,” the Orange is the New Black alum told Entertainment Tonight. “We’re different actors, we’re coming with different experiences. But I respect what she’s talking about because it is true.”
She noted later that all women in Hollywood, especially Black women, “need to get paid what they deserve.”
“And I’m one of those women,” Brooks added.
That reality aside, Brooks explained that for her, there are acting opportunities “that are really about the artistic fulfillment and the legacy that we talk about [for years]. And that is what The Color Purple has been for me.”
“I knew that what was gonna come from this, no amount of money could ever pay. It’s priceless,” Brooks told Entertainment Tonight. “And that is what it’s been for me — a priceless experience.”
While many some speculated that Henson’s comments indicated a rift between her and Oprah Winfrey, a producer on The Color Purple, the Hustle & Flow actor clarified that all’s well between the two.
She wrote in a lengthy Instagram caption, “Ms. OPRAH has been nothing less than a steady and solid beacon of light to ALL OF THE CAST of The Color Purple!!!”
Henson added later that Winfrey “provided ENCOURAGEMENT, GUIDANCE and UNWAVERING SUPPORT to us all.”
The actor exclaimed, “she told me personally to reach out to her for ANYTHING I needed, and I did!”
