Jada Pinkett Smith applauded actress Taraji P. Henson for speaking out about her experience with the pay disparity in Hollywood while appearing on NPR’s It’s Been a Minute. Pinkett Smith was asked as a black Hollywood veteran if she felt Henson’s words rang true and how inequality has shaped her career. “Absolutely, people would literally say, ‘well, you don’t need it. You’re married to Will [Smith]’.” Jada said. “My heart broke for Taraji, and I was also happy [to see] how courageous she was to speak about it in the way that she did.”
“One of the things with Taraji is that she is the breadwinner of her family. Her pressures would be different than mine. If it’s time to walk away, that’s not always the solution,” explained the actress. When asked if part of the reason why she doesn’t act as much as she used to is because of this type of treatment, Jada said, “That has a lot to do with it and also wanting to get on the other side to help remedy that as a producer.”