Taraji P. Henson Defends Oprah Over Racial Pay Disparity Claims

Taraji P. Henson defended Oprah Winfrey following the Empire star's comments about racial pay disparity in Hollywood.

On Wednesday, Henson, 53, appeared on Gayle King's SiriusXM show to promote The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule and co-produced by Oprah.

While discussing the pay gap for Black actors in Hollywood, the Golden Globe winner said she was considering quitting the industry due to the low pay she receives.

"I'm just tired of working so hard, being gracious about what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost," a teary-eyed Henson said. "I'm tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired.

"I've been getting paid and I've been fighting tooth and nail every project to get that same freaking quote. I have to work because the math ain't mathing and I have bills."

In response to the emotional interview, social media users hit out at Oprah, assuming that she had underpaid Henson in The Color Purple—despite there being no evidence for these claims.

"Reading between the lines, Oprah and co don't pay Black actors," wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter.

"Oprah's skin is black but she moves like the rich white man her wealth has allowed her to be," commented another.

However, Henson took to Instagram on Thursday to defend Oprah, describing the 69-year-old as a "steady and solid beacon of light" and thanking the media mogul for her support.

"It is so important for black women and ALL women of color to support each other," Henson wrote.

"It is also imperative to have women of color in decision making positions across ALL industries."

She continued: "[Oprah] has provided ENCOURAGEMENT, GUIDANCE and UNWAVERING SUPPORT to us all. She told me personally to reach out to her for ANYTHING I needed, and I did!

"It took ONE CALL... ONE CONVERSATION... and ONE DECISION MAKING BLACK WOMAN to make me feel heard."

According to Marcus Collins, clinical marketing professor at the University of Michigan and author of For The Culture, pay in Hollywood discriminates across racial and gender lines.

"Leaked salary information provided evidence to what was once only anecdotal," he told Newsweek. "This is an age-old tale of inequality. People of color and underestimated communities have long been under-compensated relative to their white counterparts—not just in Hollywood but in just about every industry imaginable, except perhaps sports."

Collins believes this is due to Hollywood relying on "gut" instinct, with internal biases leading to people of color being discriminated against.

"This equates to Black talent being underpaid, underfunded, and under-supported in Hollywood and corporate America at large," he said.

"Racism and discrimination are so intrinsically woven into our society and its institutions that it's almost impossible to identify where one starts and the other begins."

This isn't the first time that Henson has spoken out about the pay gap for Black actors in Hollywood.

In her 2016 memoir, Around the Way, the Hidden Figures star said she was offered "sofa change" for her role as Brad Pitt's adopted mother in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2009), despite the film's reported $150 million budget.

She was also forced to cover her own travel costs and accommodation for the three-month shoot, which she described as "Insult, meet injury."

Henson was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal—the only cast member to get that recognition. In a section titled "On Being a Black Woman in Hollywood," the actress also recalled being cut from a role that was specifically written for her.

In 2014, Henson was set to star as pregnant Russian sex worker Daka in St. Vincent, alongside Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy. However, the part was given to white actress Naomi Watts.

"Time and again, I've lost roles because someone with the ability to greenlight a film couldn't see black women beyond a very limited purview he or she thought 'fit' audience expectations," she wrote in the book.

"It was a meaty gig. I would have loved it. Alas, I couldn't get served at that particular restaurant."

Released on December 15, The Color Purple is a screen adaptation of the stage musical, which was inspired by Alice Walker's novel and the 1985 movie of the same name.

The Steven Spielberg-directed coming-of-age drama, set in early 20th century Georgia, was Oprah's movie debut, with the star landing a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Oscars.