Jennifer Lawrence speaks out against the gender pay gap: 'F--k that'

(Image credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

published 13 October 2015

Last year's unprecedented Sony hack led to a revelation for Jennifer Lawrence. In an essay published Tuesday in Lena Dunham's newsletter, Lenny Letter, the Oscar-winning actress explained that, prior to the hack, she had been "ever-so-slightly quiet" on the topic of feminism because she "didn't like joining conversations that feel like they're 'trending.'" But once she discovered in the hack how little she was getting paid in comparison to her male co-stars, she began to realize the full consequences of how Hollywood treats women — and decided, at long last, to speak up:

I'm over trying to find the "adorable" way to state my opinion and still be likable! F--k that. 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. It's just heard. Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves. If anything, I'm sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share. [Lenny Letter]

The hacked emails showed that for American Hustle, actors Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, and director David O. Russell earned 9 percent of back-end profits. Lawrence was originally slated to earn 5 percent, though she and co-star Amy Adams ultimately only ended up receiving 7 percent. Read more about Lawrence coming to terms with her feminism — and fighting back against sexism in Hollywood — over in Lenny Letter.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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