Current:Home > StocksOprah Winfrey denies Taraji P. Henson feud after actress made pay disparity comments -Infinite Edge Learning
Oprah Winfrey denies Taraji P. Henson feud after actress made pay disparity comments
View
Date:2025-04-14 06:50:32
Oprah Winfrey has Taraji P. Henson’s back — and you can take that to the bank.
During a red carpet interview at the Golden Globes Sunday, the TV personality addressed rumors that she and "The Color Purple" actress had a feud after Henson made comments about her experience with pay inequality in Hollywood. Winfrey served as a producer on the musical drama starring Henson alongside Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks and Halle Bailey.
"People are saying that I was not supporting Taraji," Winfrey told Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier. "Taraji will tell you herself that I've been the greatest champion of this film. Championing not only the behind-the-scenes projection but also everything that everybody needed."
Winfrey added that she was "not in charge" of the film's budget.
"We as producers, everybody gets their salary, everybody is negotiated by your team," Winfrey said. "And so, whenever I heard there was an issue or there was a problem – there was a problem with cars or the problem with their food – I would step in and do whatever I could to make it right. And I believe that (Henson) would even vouch for that and say that is true."
The "Oprah Winfrey Show" host also debunked a rumor that there was friction between the women during a photocall in New York City.
"There was something online about us being separated at the top of the Empire State Building," Winfrey said. "On that particular day, we were so cold, so I don't know what kind of body language people were talking about. I was literally just trying to stay warm and that was the fourth thing we had done. There's no validity to there being a thing between Taraji and I."
Henson opened up about navigating pay disparities in the entertainment industry during an emotional SiriusXM interview with Gayle King last month. The actress was asked if rumors about her possibly quitting acting were true.
"I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do (and) getting paid a fraction of the cost," Henson said during the Dec. 19 interview. "I'm tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, 'You work a lot.' Well, I have to. The math ain't math-ing. When you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. It’s a whole entire team behind us. They have to get paid."
A few days following the interview, Henson took to Instagram to praise Winfrey for her support during production on "The Color Purple."
"It is so important for black women and ALL women of color to support each other," Henson wrote in the Dec. 21 post. "With that being said… Ms. OPRAH has been nothing less than a steady and solid beacon of light to ALL OF THE CAST of The Color Purple!!! … She told me personally to reach out to her for ANYTHING I needed, and I did!"
Henson concluded: "It took ONE CALL… ONE CONVERSATION… and ONE DECISION-MAKING BLACK WOMAN to make me feel heard."
'The math ain't math-ing':Taraji P. Henson tearfully speaks out about pay inequality
'The Color Purple' movie review:A fantastic Fantasia Barrino brings new depth to 2023 film
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY
veryGood! (654)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- OSCARS PHOTOS: Standout moments from the 96th Academy Awards, from the red carpet through the show
- How one dog and her new owner brought kindness into the lives of many
- Kirk Cousins is the NFL's deal-making master. But will he pay off for Falcons in playoffs?
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Oscars got it right: '20 Days in Mariupol,' 'The Zone of Interest' wins show academy is listening
- Oregon avalanche forecaster dies in snowslide he triggered while skiing
- Eva Longoria Reveals Her Unexpected Pre-Oscars Meal
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole to get MRI on pitching elbow
Ranking
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- Kim Mulkey crossed line with comments on LSU, South Carolina players fighting
- Inside Robert Downey Jr.'s Unbelievable Hollywood Comeback, From Jail to Winning an Oscar
- Oscars get audience bump from ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer,’ but ratings aren’t quite a blockbuster
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Deputy dies during altercation in upstate New York casino, man charged in death
- Cancer-causing chemical found in skincare brands including Target, Proactive, Clearasil
- Can you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know.
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Horoscopes Today, March 11, 2024
Why AP isn’t using ‘presumptive nominee’ to describe Trump or Biden
NAACP urges student-athletes to reconsider Florida colleges after state eliminates DEI programs
Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
Nigeria police say 15 school children were kidnapped, days after armed gunmen abducted nearly 300
2024 NFL free agency updates: Tracker for Monday buzz, notable moves as deals fly in
3 children and 2 adults die after school bus collides with semi in Illinois, authorities say