Chance The Rapper has mocked the underqualified critics he has seen comment on recent statements made by Taraji P. Henson and other Black women about pay disparity in Hollywood.
In a video which made its rounds on social media on Sunday (December 31), the 30-year-old prefaces his statements by explaining that he would have preferred not to address the topic at all.
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“I try not to add my voice to current pop culture events that doesn’t have to do with me,” Chance starts. “But there’s this current conversation going on right now; a lot of Black women, Black actresses are coming out and talking about how they was did dirty in the industry, how they weren’t paid for their work. This has been going on for years…
“But the worst part is seeing the comments under a lot of these posts with people talking bout how they should have negotiated better, they should’ve read their contracts and stuff. And these be like the dirtiest, dustiest, brokest, least goal-having, definitely least goal-accomplishing people. In the world.
“They’ll write some stuff and they’ve never negotiated a contract, they’ve never had to hire a lawyer; and if they did, it’s like: you not in The Color Purple! You not doing nothing.”
A number of celebrities have spoken up in support of Taraji P. Henson in the last few weeks, following an emotional interview on SiriusXM during which she spoke about the financial struggles she’s faced.
The actor got teary-eyed while detailing how much she’s had to work to stay afloat and manage her finances while being paid a fraction of what some of her peers make.
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“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 say the same thing over and over,” she began. “I hear people go, ‘You work alot.’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing. When you start working you have a team and big bills come with what you do.
“When you hear someone saying ‘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. Do the math now we have $5 million. Your team is getting 30 percent off of what you gross not what Uncle Sam took. Now, do the math. It seems whenever I break a glass ceiling and it’s time to renegotiate I’m at the bottom again.”
Henson also recently revealed that she fired her entire team after they failed to monetarily capitalize on the success of her Cookie character in Empire.
Keke Palmer took to Instagram to repost Henson’s comments on Wednesday (December 20) with a detailed explanation of Hollywood’s exploitive nature toward its constituents.
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“The entertainment industry is just like any other industry,” the Nope star said. “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.
“To make money you must spend money so what seems like a lot is taken by a lot,” Palmer continued. “There is still privilege in this depending what vantage point you are seeing from, but in our industry amongst one another this is neutralized.”
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Palmer, who has been acting since the age of 11, went on to add that holding one job is no longer a reality for those who hope to thrive in American society these days.
“For an entertainment career you may be like me, an actor, influencer, host, singer, speaker etc. I keep a job because I HAVE to haha. We ALL work multiple jobs and we may like some but also because we HAVE to,” she wrote.
