Jennifer Lawrence might be one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood today, but compared to her male peers, she still falls victim to unequal pay. On Tuesday (Oct. 13), the Academy Award-winning actress debuted an essay titled, "Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars," in an edition of the Lenny newsletter. In the open letter, the Hunger Games star explores the topics of sexism and Hollywood's gender wage gap.
Lawrence has a reputation in Hollywood as being very down-to-earth and relatable, but in this new essay, the actress confronts her feelings of wanting to be liked and decides to focus on the importance of being heard. Despite topping Forbes' 2015 Highest Paid Actresses in the World list, Lawrence could have taken a little bit more money to the bank if it wasn't for the gender pay gap that lurks in the media industry. She didn't realize the extremities of the pay gap until the Sony hack scandal took place in December 2014.
"It's hard for me to speak about my experience as a working woman because I can safely say my problems aren't exactly relatable," Lawrence said in her Lenny essay, published by actress Lena Dunham and Girls producer Jenni Konner. "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. I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early. I didn't want to keep fighting over millions of dollars that, frankly, due to two franchises, I don't need."
The shocking Sony e-mails revealed a significant difference in pay between a variety of actresses and their male counterparts. In regards to Lawrence, the emails discussed pay disparities between the cast members of the 2013 crime drama, American Hustle.
According to The Daily Beast, director David O'Russell and actors Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner each earned nine percent of the film's profit, while leading actresses Lawrence and Amy Adams only pocketed seven percent.
Women in general are haunted by the stigma that if they speak up about their wants and needs, they're being bossy or worse, a b*tch. The 25-year-old, who's currently writing a screenplay with fellow funny woman Amy Schumer, feared if she openly discussed money she wouldn't receive the same respect the male actors did. She also didn't want to be labeled as a "hard to work with" actress if she decided to make these negotiations.
"I would be lying if I didn't say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight," Lawrence wrote. "I didn't want to seem 'difficult' or 'spoiled.' 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.'"
Now that she's aware of the controversial acts that have been taking place right under her nose, Lawrence isn't afraid to use her voice to fight back against injustice.
"I'm over trying to find the 'adorable' way to state my opinion and still be likable! F**k that," the actress wrote. "I don't think I've ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard."
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