Months after actress Taraji P. Henson was moved to tears while publicly discussing not being compensated in Hollywood in the way that she believes she should be, Time magazine has honored her as one of its 100 Most Influential People of 2024.
The Howard University alumna is being honored alongside her “The Color Purple” co-star Fantasia Barrino, of whom Henson penned an essay celebrating her achievements. While she gave flowers to her industry sister, fans made sure that they gave Henson hers.
After Time posted the April cover of Henson, posed in red leather and sheer gloves with her hair pulled back, fans immediately flooded the comment section — saluting the publication for adding her to the list. The outlet also noted that the distinction should also result in a higher pay check.
“I love this for her! Now show her the [money emoji]” one person said. Another agreed, saying, “Well let’s get her PAID!!!!!!”
Congrats to Taraji 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/xt0DqlrETE
— 💙🦂Scorpiogirl2🦂💙 (@NellyBelle3379) April 17, 2024
A third post read, “She underpaid. F fame give her, her money.”
Most people were delighted for the Oscar-nominated movie star.
Another person to give Henson her flowers was her dear friend Mary J. Blige, who wrote the essay about the “Baby Boy” star for Time.
“What I love most about her is that she is unapologetically herself,” the “Real Love” singer said, adding that “she doesn’t bite her tongue, and she’s not afraid to stand up for what she believes in.”
“She’s always true and authentic, and she’s just as fearless onscreen, which is why she’s one of my favorite actors,” the singer and Oscar-nominated actress explained.
Meanwhile, some users on X, claim to have no idea who Henson is. “Wait who even is she? She can’t be that influential if I have no clue who she is and how she improved my life?” wrote one, while another said, “Who is she? Why is she important to the world? She may be a good actress, but so what?”
The 53-year-old has been acting in the late 1990s with small and lead roles in “Sister, Sister,” “Baby Boy,” “The Division,” “Hustle & Flow,” Tyler Perry’s “The Family That Preys,” “Not Easily Broken,” “The Best of Enemies,” as well as “Think Like a Man” and “Think Like a Man Too” from Steve Harvey.
One fearless act that Henson would have most reeling from is firing her entire team for not capitalizing on her “Empire” success and getting her more roles and endorsement deals.
“Everybody had to f—kin’ go. Where is my deal? Where’s my commercial? Cookie was at the top of the fashion game. Where is my endorsement? What did you have set up for after this? That’s why you all haven’t seen me in so long. They had nothing set up,” Henson said in a viral SAG-AFTRA Foundation interview on Dec. 19.
Compliments and nice words have come plentiful for Henson, but at this point in her career, she says she needs to bring in the same dollars that her white female or male counterparts receive.
Taraji P. Henson says she fired her entire team after they failed to capitalize on the popularity of her Empire character Cookie Lyon.
— Complex (@Complex) December 21, 2023
"You're all f*cking fired." pic.twitter.com/UG19Wl8Phs
In December 2023, she admitted that she was close to leaving the industry because she was becoming exhausted fighting for fair compensation. The outburst came around the promotion of Oprah Winfrey’s “The Color Purple,” making many believe that the producer was part of the infrastructure that underpaid the actress.
“You got to negotiate and fight tooth and nail to get what you made the last time. Where’s my raise? I haven’t seen a raise in my income since ‘Proud Mary.’ I almost had to walk away from ‘Color Purple,’” said Henson. “If I don’t take a stand, how am I making it easy for Fantasia, and Danielle, and Halle, and Phylicia?”
Henson speaks for many Black women in Hollywood speaking out against pay disparity, including Mo’Nique, Gabrielle Union, and Viola Davis.
