Following E! News host Catt Sadler's announcement that she was leaving the network after discovering that her male co-host was making almost double her salary, Jennifer Lawrence has expressed her support. The mother! star took to Facebook to share Sadler's announcement, adding,"Thank you Catt for sharing your story."
Sadler's statement detailed her growth at the company over the past ten years, and how this year was her most demanding yet.
"Daily Pop was born. I was named host which meant double duty. Hosting a live, two-hour daytime show while also hosting E News most nights," she said. "It was creatively challenging but genuinely one of the most fulfilling years of my professional career."
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Which is why she was shocked when an executive apparently told her there was a huge disparity between her salary, and the salary of her co-star, Jason Kennedy.
"More recently, when E reached out to renew and extend my deal, I learned that he wasn't just making a little more than I was. In fact, he was making close to double my salary for the past several years," she continued.
Why I left @e_entertainment... in my own words. https://t.co/mqN3w46MYk
— catt sadler (@IAmCattSadler) December 20, 2017
One the of the main messages of Sadler's statement was to encourage women to know their worth, a sentiment Lawrence had also expressed back in 2015 when she wrote an essay on equal pay for Lenny Letter.
"When the Sony hack happened and I found out how much less I was being paid than the lucky people with dicks, I didn't get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself," she wrote. "I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early."
However, she pointed out that women face a unique battle because of how society has conditioned them, because, especially in Hollywood, it's important that they're likeable or they won't get work.
"At the time, that seemed like a fine idea, until I saw the payroll on the Internet and realized every man I was working with definitely didn't worry about being 'difficult' or 'spoiled,'" she added.
Because people like Lawrence and Sadler have gone public about the pay gap, and made that brave choice to stand up for themselves, it will become less taboo for another woman to do the same. Plus, any time Jennifer Lawrence stands behind you, you know you're doing the right thing.
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