Taraji P. Henson breaks down in tears as she discusses Hollywood pay disparities: 'I'm tired!'
Taraji P. Henson is "tired of working so hard" only to receive a "fraction" of her salary and broke down in tears as she discussed her constant attempts to break through a "glass ceiling" in Hollywood.
Taraji P. Henson is "tired of working so hard" only to receive a "fraction" of her salary.
The 53-year-old actress has been in the industry for more than 20 years but claimed that because of expenses such as tax and employing a team, she only actually receives a small amount of her gross pay as she finds herself continually unable to negotiate a higher amount.
Speaking to Gayle King on Sirius XM, she said: "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 saying the same thing over and over. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing.
"When you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don't do this alone. There's a whole entire team behind us and they have to get paid. So when you hear someone saying 'Oh such-and-such made $10 million.' That didn't make it to their account.
"Know that off the top, Uncle Sam is getting 50 percent. So now we're at five million. Your team is getting 30 percent of whatever you gross. Not after what Uncle Sam took. Now do the math.
"I’m only human and it seems every time I do something and 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. "
'The Color Purple' star broke down in tears as she explained she is trying to "fight" for the next generation of actors and actresses coming up behind her but claimed that pay disparities in Hollywood can "steal your soul", although she will not let that happen.
She added: "And I’m just tired. I'm tired. It wears on your because what is that telling you? And if I can't fight for those coming up behind me, then what am I doing? And then they tell me that we don't translate overseas. I'm tired of hearing that, 20=plus years in the game and when it's time for us to go to bat, they don't have any money.
"They play in your face. And I’m just supposed to smile and grin and bear and just keep going. I have other things because this industry, if you let it, it’ll steal your soul. But I refuse to let that happen."
