Oprah shuts down rumors of beef with Taraji P. Henson
LOS ANGELES — Oprah Winfrey wants everyone to know that things between her and Taraji P. Henson are all good — an admission that came weeks after specula- tion about tension between the producer and “The Color Purple” star.
Setting the record straight, Winfrey said she supports Hensonfulyinal herendeav- ors.
During the press tour for “The Color Purple” — a film for which Winfrey served as a producer — Henson was outspoken about her experiences in Hollywood with pay dis- parity and later detailed how she had to argue to get driv- ers for the film’s stars during the production.
Naturally, online chatter turned to speculation and questions about why Winfrey
uldn’t personal y step in to eradicate tension on the set.
On Sunday’s Golden Globes red carpet, the former day- time TV queen tried to dispel the rumors and confirmed that she and Henson are on good terms.
“People are saying that I was not supporting Taraji,” Winfrey told Entertainment Tonight. “Taraji will tell you herself that I’ve been the great est champion of this film. Championing not only the behind-the-scenes production but also everything that everybody needed.”
She cont nued, “Whenever I heard that there was some- thing that people needed — I’m not in charge of the bud- get because that’s Warner Bros., that’s the way the stu- dio system works and we as producers, everybody gets their salary that’s negotiated by your team.”
Winfrey clarified that when she would hear of a problem on set, she would “step in” to do what she could do allevi- ate any issues.
As for her purported feud wi h Henson, Wi frey said out right, “There’s no validity to there being a thing between Taraji and I.”
In December, a tearful Henson, who plays Shug Avery in the film, expressed her frus- trations about pay disparity in her line of work.
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson told Gayle King on SiriusXM. “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 mathing.”
She said entertainers often have a team behind them that shares in any paycheck — and that’s not to ment on the
nk claimed by Uncle Sam. “When you start working a lot, you know, you have a team,” the “Empire” star continued. “Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. There’s a whole entire team behind us. They have to get paid.”
Henson said her previous accomplishments — which include several Emmy nom- inations and an Academy Award nomination — don’t carry weight when it comes time to negotiate a salary, a problem affecting many Black male actors.
“Every time I do something and I break another glass ceil- ing, when it’s time to rene- gotiate, I’m at the bottom again, like I never did what I just did and I’m just tired,” she explained. “It wears on you — ‘cause what does that mean? What is that telling me? And if I can’t fight for [the Black female actors] coming up behind me, then what the f— am I doing?”
After her remarks, many quickly pointed a finger at Winfrey, who simultaneously
nt viral for appearing to dis- miss a photo-op wi h Henson dur ng the press tour But Hen- son appeared to quash that the online hubbub on Insta- gram just before the film was released on Christmas Day.
“It is so important for black women and ALL women of color to support each other,” Henson captioned a photo of herself and Winfrey smil- ing next to each other. “Ms. OPRAH has been nothing less than a steady and solid bea- con of light to ALL OF THE CAST of The Color Purple!!! She has provided ENCOUR-
EMENT, GUIDANCE and UNWAVERING SUPPORT to us all. She told me personally to reach out to her for ANYTHING I needed, and I did!”
In an interview with the New York Times earlier this month, Henson said that her co-stars Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks got “a lot of the stuff ” on “The Color Purple” set because of her advocacy.
he production] gave us rental cars, and I was like, ‘I can’t drive myself to set in At anta.’ This is insurance liability, it’s dangerous,” Henson said. “Now they robbing people. What do I look like, taking myself to work by myself in a rental car? So I was like, ‘Can I get a driver or security to take me?’ I’m not asking for the moon. They’re like, ‘Well, if we do it for you, we got to do it for everybody.’ Well, do it for everybody! It’s stuff like that, stuff I shouldn’t have to fight for.”