Scarlett Johansson Says Every Woman Has Been Underpaid But Feels ‘Obnoxious’ Talking About Her Own Experience

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In her Cosmopolitan cover interview, Scarlett Johansson said that she feels “obnoxious” talking about her own experience with equal pay, unless it’s part of a larger conversation. Cosmopolitan released the following quote from the interview, which appears in the May issue: “There’s something icky about me having that conversation unless it applies to a greater whole. … I am very fortunate, I make a really good living, and I’m proud to be an actress who’s making as much as many of my male peers at this stage. … I think every woman has [been underpaid], but unless I’m addressing it as a larger problem, for me to talk about my own personal experience with it feels a little obnoxious. It’s part of a larger conversation about feminism in general.” Johansson is probably referring to her pay for Avengers: Age of Ultron, for which she fortunately earned as much as her male co-stars. While it’s understandable that she might feel uncomfortable publicly talking about money (and she’s not the only one), and true that she makes a really good living, it seems fair to say that anything she has to say about her personal experience with unequal pay would undoubtedly move the conversation forward. So please, Scarlett: Do tell! Jennifer LawrenceCarey Mulligan, Jessica Chastain, and more have already lent their voices to the issue. We need to talk about the gender pay gap. We need equal pay for women. This sexist double standard has to end, and the voices of influential women in Hollywood can only help.

Scar Jo Feels ‘Obnoxious’ Discussing Equal Pay