Charlize Theron Proved You’re Better Off When You Know Your Co-Workers’ Pay
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Theron, an Oscar-winning actress, reportedly used the hack against Sony late last year to negotiate a deal worth more than $10 million in order to get paid the same as her male co-star, Chris Hemsworth, for their upcoming film “The Huntsman.” Though the hack revealed nothing about her or Hemsworth’s pay for the movie, it did show how women in Hollywood often earn less than their male counterparts, reportedly inspiring Theron to demand equal pay.
This is a prominent example of something lawmakers, experts and advocates have been saying for years: When women know how much their co-workers are getting paid, they’re more likely to be paid fairly.
“It’s a very basic check on discrimination,” said Ariane Hegewisch, the study director at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a Washington-based think tank. “If you don’t know whether you’re paid equally you can’t enforce your rights”.
More: Charlize Theron Proved You’re Better Off When You Know Your Co-Workers’ Pay
How Charlize Theron Used The Sony Hack To Make Millions
Charlize Theron found herself in an unusual spot as Universal tried to get most of the band back together for a sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman. Snow White herself, Kristen Stewart, wasn’t being asked back. But the studio wanted original Huntsman Chris Hemsworth and Theron’s wicked witch to reprise their roles. Only, thanks to leaked information, Theron and her camp learned that, via a report on Fusion, that there existed a significant gap between the wages paid to her male co-star. Studio 360 now reports that Theron and her team demanded that she be paid as much money as Hemsworth. Universal relented, offering the Oscar winner “a deal worth more than $10 million.”