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