According to Taraji P. Henson,Oprah Winfrey, the producer of “The Color Purple,” “told me personally to reach out to her” for anything.
After a moving interview discussing the unequal compensation of Black women in Hollywood, Taraji P. Henson is expressing her opinions.
During her Tuesday interview with Gayle King on SiriusXM radio, the 53-year-old Oscar-nominated actress expressed her frustration on social media, saying she was “tired of working so hard” and “getting paid a fraction of the cost.” On Thursday, she addressed her comments on Instagram.
“I am grateful for the kindness, comprehension, and encouragement you have shown me,” Henson captioned a picture of herself with Oprah Winfrey, the executive producer of the recently released musical film The Color Purple.
Henson said, “It is crucial that women of color, especially black women, support one another.” “Having women of color in decision-making positions in ALL industries is also imperative.”
In her letter, Winfrey said, “To the entire cast of The Color Purple, she has been nothing less than a constant and strong beacon of light.” She has given us all inspiration, direction, and steadfast support.
In closing, Henson thanked Winfrey, 69: “I contacted her for whatever I needed, as she had specifically instructed me to do! It took one phone call, one exchange of words, and one decision-making Black woman for me to feel heard.
Keke Palmer, one of the celebrities who posted Henson’s open interview again and raised awareness of salary inequality, left the following remark on the Instagram post: “Sistahs, I love you.”
During the SiriusXM interview, Henson sobbed when King questioned her about remarks she had previously made on her consideration of giving up acting. She was the Empire Emmy nominee. Concerning what she classified as a salary disparity for Black women working in Hollywood, she told King and other guests, including Color Purple costar Danielle Brooks and director Blitz Bazawule, that she was “tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over.”
“You work a lot, people say. I have to. She said, “The math isn’t adding up.” “Our work entails significant expenses… We have a complete team behind us, so we are up here. They need to be compensated.
When it comes time to renegotiate, she feels like she did what she just did, expressing her displeasure that “every time I do something, I smash another glass barrier… It becomes tiresome, you know, because really, what does it mean? How does that inform me?
Only a few fibs were spoken. Not one damn thing. Lie,” Gabrielle Union commented on X, reposting the Henson interview footage.
Viola Davis reshared the video on her Instagram page with the straightforward statement, “This. THIS.”
Henson said that she has thought about leaving the United States in 2022. “I’m considering getting out of here, leaving and living in another country,” she said. “One thing about being fifty is that you become weary of battling. I’m worn out.
The new Color Purple picture, starring Henson as Shug Avery, is based on the popular 1985 film and Broadway musical of the same name. The cast includes Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo, Louis Gossett Jr., David Alan Grier, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Deon Cole, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., and more.
