Aunjanue Ellis Reveals Will Smith Gave ‘King Richard’ Cast Raises After She Told Him She Wasn't Paid Fairly
Will Smith did a very classy thing for his King Richard co-stars and it’s all thanks to Aunjanue Ellis. The Oscar-nominated actress who played Oracene Williams in the most talked about movie of the year stopped by The Breakfast Club and revealed how the actor and producer lent a helping hand to the cast after he discovered they weren’t paid fairly.
Back in November, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Will gave bonuses to the actors after he raked in $40 million. While he hasn’t spoken publicly about the generous act, Aunjanue provided more insight into the situation.
“I think it’s important that I say this, after you get the job, the fight is not over. You have to fight to get paid, and I did that job and I’m thankful for it, but you know I could’ve gotten paid better, and so I told him this. And he did something about it,” she said. “As a result of his doing, him responding to the letter that I wrote to him, not only did he address that with increasing my pay, but the other actors in the movie also got their pay increased, which is the proof of when Black women do well, everybody does well.”
She continued, “I think it’s important that first of all, people know who this man is and what he did and first of all and also that you know, Black women still have to fight to get paid equally, fairly.”
DJ Envy then posed the question if it was actually up to the agent for actors to get paid what they’re worth, which she responded, “Speaking for myself, whoever your agent is, they can fight for having the best thing for you, but if you are working within a system that doesn’t believe the work of Black women is as important as the work of white men, no matter how much they fight, it doesn’t matter, because that’s still a reality,” she said. “And there’s not a Black woman in the world who has had my path, essentially, who doesn’t have that story.”
Many Black actresses have been speaking up about the gender pay gap between them and males, particularly white males. Viola Davis went viral in 2020 for her interview where she talked about her experience with the gender pay gap.
“We won’t talk about gender inequality of pay because a lot of the women who stepped forward – and I stand in solidarity with them, okay - what they’re getting paid, which is half of what a man is getting paid?
"Well, we get probably a tenth of what a Caucasian woman gets. And I’m number one on the call sheet. And then I have to go in and I have to hustle for my worth. That’s what I feel like I’m doing.”
She continued, “I got the Oscar, I got the Emmy, I got the two Tonys, I’ve done Broadway, I’ve done Off-Broadway, I’ve done TV, I’ve done film - I’ve done all of it. I have a career that’s probably comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, let’s say, Sigourney Weaver.
“They came out of Yale, they came out Juilliard, they came out of NYU. They had the same path as me and yet, I am nowhere near them. Not as far as money, not as far as job opportunities - nowhere close to it.”
Taraji P. Henson also shocked everyone when she shared that she only pocketed $40,000 for her role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which she starred in alongside Brad Pitt.
Aunjanue Ellis Talks "King Richard", Working With Will Smith, Black Women In Hollywood & More
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Stress Awareness Month: Sneaky Workplace Triggers Affecting Black Women, And How To Cope
We all know about the major stress triggers of everyday life, from relationship woes to monthly bills to unexpected emergencies, but there are small, subtle triggers that impact Black women in a big way, especially when it comes to work. It’s good to be aware of these sneaky stressors in order to maximize your day and find ways to incorporate solutions into your self-care routines.
Since it’s Stress Awareness Month, we caught up with Keanne Owens, LCSW, founder of Journey To Harmony Therapy Center, to talk about these triggers and what Black women can do to manage and cope.
Owens is an experienced South Florida-based counselor and social worker who offers her services via Grow Therapy, a therapy and medication management platform. She has worked with Black women professionals to unpack issues related to workplace stressors. “One is the pressure to perform–having to meet deadlines and deliverables. And a lot of times, these subtle stressors from performance are put upon ourselves as Black women. We want to make sure we’re doing our best. We don’t want to be critiqued in certain ways.”
Excessive micromanagement leading to fear of overly critical bosses is another subtle trigger that can negatively impact Black women in the workplace.
“Whenever something is done wrong, or we experience some type of injustice and have to report it, it’s the fear of retaliation–[fear that] we won’t be taken seriously or [our words] will be taken out of context because of being deemed as the ‘angry Black woman,’” she said.
Black Women And Workplace Stress Triggers
Her sentiments are backed by research. A recent report by Coqual found that 28% of Black women (compared to 17% of White men) say their supervisor uses “excessive control or attention to detail” when managing them. There’s more: A survey by the National Employment Law Project found that Black workers were “more likely to have concerns (80 percent) and twice as likely as white workers (18 percent) to have unresolved concerns at work, with 39 percent reporting they were “not satisfied with the employer’s response or did not raise concerns for fear of retaliation.”
The survey also found that 14 percent of Black respondents said they “avoided raising concerns to their employer for fear of retaliation—more than twice the average rate of 6 percent for all survey respondents.”
Owens pointed to the fact that these subtle stress triggers can negatively impact our physical health and our career advancement. “A lot of time it’ll affect our productivity,” Owens added. “We start to have negative thoughts of ourselves. The stressors can also cause fatigue. We’re no longer meeting or working up to our desired potential.” Other challenges as a result include insomnia and increased insolation, withdrawal, and lack of motivation to apply for jobs or promotions even when qualified.
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How To Manage Subtle Stress Triggers
While there are systemic issues at play for Black women at work that has less to do with us and more to do with major overhauls that must be addressed by the powers that be, there are steps we can take for the betterment of ourselves and our mental health. Owens offered the following tips:
Tap into a support system, whether it’s a coworker you trust, a family member, an organization, or an outlet like a hobby.
Create a good work-life balance before burnout even starts. “Having certain boundaries [is the goal] such as, for example, if you get off at 5, you get off at 5. If your job description is this, you don’t go above and beyond because that brings you to a lot of burnout,” Owens said.
Prioritize self-care, whatever that means for you. “If you don’t have a routine, create one. Practice mindfulness and even some meditation,” she added.
Create structure in your life outside of work. “Even if you have a family, applying some structure in your routine helps relieve stress,” she said.
Get into grounding techniques. “Do a real quick square breathing exercise, that’s literally 30 seconds, or you can do a grounding technique that’s less than two minutes, right there where you are. You don’t need any other materials. That’s something you can do with just yourself and your body.”
Ask for help. “As Black women, we don’t ask for help enough,” she said. “Find where you need to ask for help. A lot of times, people think that’s indicative of weakness, but we need to rewrite that narrative. It’s okay to ask for help where you see fit. [If] you’re a mom, [it could be] every Wednesday from 5 to 6, your children are with the dad. You have to carve out that time.”
For more information on Grow Therapy, visit their website. You can also find out more about Keanne Owens, LCSW, via BeginYourJourneyToHarmony.com.
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