TV
Published December 26, 2023, 11:07 pm ET
Taraji P. Henson fired her entire team after there was nothing planned for them following the end of “Empire” in 2020. YouTube/@SAGAFTRAFoundation
Taraji P. Henson means business.
In a recent interview with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the actress revealed that she fired her entire team after they failed to capitalize on her “Empire” success when the show ended in 2020.
“Everyone had to fucking leave,” she joked while speaking to Variety’s Angelique Jackson.
Henson, who played Cookie Lyon on the hit Fox drama series for six seasons, went on to explain that she believed she had plenty of opportunities after the series ended.
Instead, she was completely underwhelmed.
“Where’s my deal? Where is my commercial? Cookie was at the top of the fashion game. Where is my recommendation? What did you plan to do after that?” she argued.
“That’s why you all haven’t seen me for so long. They hadn’t prepared anything.”
“Where’s my deal? Where is my commercial? …What did you plan to do after that?” she said in an interview for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. YouTube/@SAGAFTRAFoundation “That’s why you all haven’t seen me in so long. They had nothing prepared,” she added. YouTube/@SAGAFTRAFoundation
The Oscar-nominated star, 53, admitted she was willing to work with her team after being told it was in her best interest to host “another cookie show.”
For more Page Six you love…
“I said, ‘I’ll do it, but it has to be right. … She’s too popular for you guys to do it,” she recalls.
Henson starred in Empire as Cookie Lyon between 2015 and 2020. Photographer: Chuck Hodes
She continued, “So when they couldn't get it right, I thought, 'This is it,' and they had no choice.”
“Y’all are f***ing fired,” she added with an uncompromising expression, before receiving applause from the audience.
In the same interview, Henson spoke candidly about the wage inequality that she and her black colleagues have to fight against in Hollywood.
The actress also spoke about the pay disparity for black women in Hollywood. Jordan Hinton/Image Press Agency/MEGA
“I put in the work so that I have a voice, so that I can say no [to unfair offers]so I can fight for those who come behind me,” she explained.
“You can’t just pay me anything because I’ll say no.”
She expressed a similar sentiment last week while speaking to Gayle King on SiriusXM when she became emotional over the unfair treatment of black women in the entertainment industry.
“I'm just tired of working so hard and being gracious about what I do [and] I only get paid a fraction of the cost,” she told Gayle King on SiriusXM last week. GC images
“I'm just tired of working so hard and being gracious about what I do [and] get paid a fraction of the cost,” she said.
“I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over again.”
The Color Purple star continued, “I'm only human and it seems to me every time I do something and break another glass ceiling when it's time to renegotiate, I'm whole again down like I never did what I just did.” .”
“I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over again,” she added. GC images
“And if I can't fight for them to come up behind me, then what the hell am I going to do?” she asked through tears.
She also pointed out that actors only take home a small portion of their salary because their team takes a portion of their earnings.
“From above, Uncle Sam gets 50 percent. … Your team gets 30 percent … of what you make, not based on what Uncle Sam made,” she said. “Now do the math.”
Henson previously revealed in a chat with Variety in 2019 that she was paid $150,000 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button after asking for $500,000. Photographer: Chuck Hodes
Henson has long advocated for getting the salary she is worth.
In 2019, she revealed to Variety that she negotiated her $150,000 paycheck for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button after initially being offered $100,000.
However, that was still far less than their original request of $500,000.
Load More…
{{#isDisplay}} {{/isDisplay}}{{#isAniviewVideo}} {{/isAniviewVideo}}{{#isSRVideo}} {{/isSRVideo}}
https://pagesix.com/2023/12/26/entertainment/taraji-p-henson-fired-her-entire-team-for-slacking-after-empire-success/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site %20Buttons
Copy the URL to share