Before wrapping 2023, Taraji P. Henson opened up about pay inequality in Hollywood, particularly as a Black actress. Since then, plenty of celebrities, from Keke Palmer to Lakeith Stanfield, have rallied behind Taraji. But in a recent street interview, Vivica A. Fox made it clear she can’t relate!
Vivica Loves Seeing Support For Taraji P. Henson, But Says She’s “Good”
While speaking with TMZ, Vivica sent her love to Taraji but said she hasn’t faced the same issues. The reporter asked if now was the perfect time to continue the conversation about pay inequality re-sparked by Taraji and driven by Mo’Nique over recent years.
“You know, darling, to each its own, do you know what I mean? I’m very happy, very blessed and to each its own. I didn’t have that experience, so to each its own. But to get your piece out is important, I totally understand that, and I love my girls for looking out for each other, but I’m good,” Vivica responded.
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As mentioned, Taraji first ignited the pay inequality talks during a sit-down with Gayle King. She revealed feeling “tired of working so hard, being gracious at what [she] does, and getting paid a fraction of the cost.” She also suggested that she’s heard the same complaint from her “sisters” in the industry.
“I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to,” Taraji said. “The math ain’t mathing. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. The fact that we’re up here, there’s a whole entire team behind us. They have to get paid.”
Watch her emotional commentary below.
Days into January, she elaborated on previous struggles on sets, from having to request security to nightmare trailers, in an interview with The New York Times.
Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield, Gabrielle Union & More Weigh In On Hollywood Pay Inequality
Following Taraji’s December comments, Black industry peers and longtime fans began weighing in on pay inequality. Keke Palmer, who has been acting since her adolescent years, revealed she has to keep multiple jobs to maintain her lifestyle.
In an Instagram post, she wrote:
“The entertainment industry is just like any other industry. We run businesses to keep our brands afloat, us being the brand/business. And it’s that team of company members that decrease any assumed large lump sum. This includes monthly expenses, just like everyone else. In the words of biggie ‘more money more problems.'”
Gabrielle Union also spoke out in December in support of Taraji, saying “not a damn lie was told” on X. She sent the ‘Empire’ star her love.
See the post below.
Like Vivica, TMZ also caught up with LaKeith Stanfield in a street interview to get his reaction to Taraji and the timing of the conversation. He agreed that it was “absolutely” the right time to talk about it and the beauty and contributions of Black people.
“I’m glad Taraji is speaking truth to power, it’s a beautiful thing. Shoutout out to her,” Lakeith said.
Meanwhile, Boosie, showed his support for Taraji as well during a live session on Instagram. While he struggled with pronouncing the actress’ name, he did say he loved her work.
However, he also reminded viewers that Mo’Nique went hard behind unveiling pay disparity in Hollywood, and the support didn’t hit the same.
