As “The Color Purple” star’s comments about Black actresses went viral, it’s necessary that we don’t exclude the “Precious” Oscar winner from the discussion.
Taraji P. Henson nearly went viral for her emotional, honest comments about the toll that being constantly dishonored as a Black actress has taken on her.
As she broke down in tears, the “Empire” star opened the many costs that come with being a high-profile actress and how the unequal salaries of Black actresses make everything more hard.
“I’m just tired of working so difficult, being gracious at what I do, [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost,” she stated.
“I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people say ‘you work a lot!’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing. And when you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do, we don’t do this alone.”
Nevertheless she was backed up by Gabrielle Union, Keke Palmer and Robin Thede, a name that numerous wanted included in the conversation was Mo’Nique.
The actress/comedian was the target of backlash in 2019 when she sued Netflix for presenting her with a “lowball offer” compared to what counterparts Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Amy Schumer received.
When Mo’Nique gone public with her complaints, she was labeled just another “angry Black woman” and relentlessly mocked.
Combined with her earlier issues with Lee Daniels, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey, the suit continued her “blackballed” status in the industry.
Though she immediately reconciled with Daniels and is now working on 50 Cent’s Starz drama “BMF,” the Oscar winner’s career never truly recovered from the controversy.