Last week, actor Jennifer Lawrencepublished an essay in Lena Dunham's "Lenny" newsletter, addressing the issue of Hollywood's gender pay gap.
The essay came after a hack of Sony's servers led to the revelation that J. Law was paid significantly less than her male co-stars for the 2013 movie American Hustle. She wrote:
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. (I told you it wasn't relatable, don't hate me).
And now David O. Russell – director of American Hustle, as well as Silver Linings Playbook – has responded to Jennifer's essay.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Russell said he respects Jennifer's decision to speak out against the issue:
I always support all my actors and all their opinions, and I want them all to get what they need. I don't really talk about the minutia of what goes on in my movies, but I believe the spirit of what Jennifer is saying is truthful to her heart. I support her and all women in that.
He also defended his decision to pay his male actors more than their female co-stars:
I understand what she's saying, and I think people in the business do too, and I also understand people saying, "Well, let's talk about the minutia of the deal." It's hard to make a movie come together with a lot of big stars. American Hustle had a lot of big stars in it. We all contributed to help make it happen ... But I also respect that Jennifer is finding her voice, and I think it's in service of something very important.
And if you're wondering whether J. Law consulted the director before publishing her essay, we now have the answer...
