Former Rare Staff
“Black-ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross has issued a public response to the recent rumors which suggested she had asked to be paid the same as her co-star Anthony Anderson and had threatened to do fewer episodes of the show unless her demands were met.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ellis Ross had asked for more money during negotiations for the show’s fifth season and said that she’d possibly do fewer episodes in order to guest star on other shows to make up the difference if her salary wasn’t increased.
Now, the actress had released a statement on her social media about the situation.
“There has been a lot of conversation and speculation the last few days regarding my ‘Black-ish’ salary. I was in a renegotiation, like many actors find themselves in during the fourth season of a successful show,” Ellis Ross wrote on Twitter, “I wanted to be compensated in a way that matches my contribution to a show that I love for many reasons, including the opportunity it allows me to reshape what it is to be a fully realized black woman on TV.”
“The words and thoughts that were in the original article that started this public conversation were not mine; there were never any threats,” she continued. “I wish I would have been called by the reporter to confirm that. Having had my renegotiation become a public conversation was awkward, but I’m grateful for the outpouring of support.”
“I’m truly thankful that important conversations are taking place about fighting for women’s worth and equality, and tightening the pay gap in every industry.”
— Tracee Ellis Ross (@TraceeEllisRoss) January 21, 2018
Forty-five-year-old Ellis Ross has been a vocal ally of the Time’s Up movement, opening up to ET at the Golden Globes about fighting inequality in Hollywood and beyond.
“Time is up on a lot of things,” she said. “We all have to stand up together and with arms linked and not ranked. We can put an end to abuse and discrimination that makes the imbalance of power.”
https://twitter.com/afiab/status/954947304926121984
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