Gabrielle Union shared a video with her Instagram users on Christmas Day detailing what it’s like to be a Black actress and producer in Hollywood.
The 51-year-old actress’s video comes days after her friend and fellow actress Taraji P. Henson broke down while speaking about Black women being underpaid in the entertainment industry during an emotional interview with Gayle King for SiriusXM on Dec. 19.
On Dec. 26, Union shared a video of herself speaking about the pay disparity of Black women in Hollywood with the caption, “Merry Christmas from A Black Actress/Producer In Hollywood.”
Union is featured walking across her lawn with blue skies and a pool as a backdrop as she says sarcastically, “I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood. Of course, I’ve been mistaken for Garcelle [Beauvais], Brandy, Ashanti, Sanaa [Lathan], Nia [Long], both Halles [Berry and Bailey] and both Reginas [Hall and King].”
“I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood. Of course, our box office successes never matter,” she continued. The next shot featured Union seated in front of a dressing room mirror getting her hair done by two Black women as she said, “I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood. Of course, I have to put my glam team in my contract, ’cause,” and panned the camera to show her glam squad.
The “Bring It On” actress added, “I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood. Of course, I was 30 playing 15.” Union also noted that she would never be able to retire because she doesn’t earn enough money to and will be working until, “the end” while using filters to make herself look and sound much younger.
“I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood, and, of course, I have mastered the art of communicating without communicating when we are around,” she said before adding, “I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood, and, of course, my favorite phrase is ‘don’t f—k with my money.'”
The video comes mere days after Henson’s interview with King. Henson broke down in tears after King asked the Oscar-nominated actress if she had considering quitting acting.
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost,” she replied. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ Well, I have to. The math ain’t math-ing. And when you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. … It’s a whole team behind us. They have to get paid.”
“So, when you hear someone go, ‘Such and such made $10 million,’ that didn’t make it to their account,” she continued. “Off the top, Uncle Sam is getting 50 percent. OK, so do the math. Now have $5 million. Your team is getting 30 percent off what you gross, not after what Uncle Sam took. Now, do the math. So, I’m only human. Every time I do something and break another glass ceiling, when it’s time to renegotiate, I’m at the bottom again like I never did what I just did, and I’m just tired. I’m tired. I’m tired.”
“The Color Purple” actress also revealed that she fired her entire team during an interview with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation that streamed the same day.
After being asked what her best business move has been as an actress, she replied, “Firing everybody after Cookie. 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.”
Union supported Henson following the interview with a post on X. “Not a damn lie told. Not. A. Damn. Lie. We go TO BAT for the next generation and hell even our own generation and above. We don’t hesitate to be the change that we all need to see AND it takes a toll on your mind, health, soul, and career if we’re keepn it [100 heart emoji] u @tarajiphenson.”
Union and Henson have been friends for 20 years, and during an appearance on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” back in 2021, Henson praised Union for her vulnerability in her book, “You Got Anything Stronger?”
“I understand what she means to our culture,” said Henson. “For her to be so strong and her vulnerability, and to share, like, I just sent her a text not too long ago thanking her for her book because, her vulnerability, you’re setting so many people free and especially in the Black community, we have to be strong all the time.”
Henson also reiterated what a blessing it was to have an ally in the entertainment industry like her good friend. Union spoke about the pay disparity in the industry during the “9 to 5ish with the Skimm” podcast back in 2021 and said Black actors need to talk to each other to know if they’re being paid fairly.
“They assume, justifiably and rightly so, that none of us are talking and that’s how we screw each other,” said Union.
The two friends and actresses starred together in the films “Think Like a Man” and “Think Like a Man Too.”
