Equal Pay Day: Sharon Stone claims after Basic Instinct 'no one wanted to pay me'
Stone rose to fame after the release of Basic Instinct in 1992
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sharon Stone waded into the Hollywood gender pay gap row by disclosing: “After Basic Instinct, no one wanted to pay me.”
According to The Guardian, Stone made the comments at a fashion event in Miami, Florida for her sister Kelly Stone.
Addressing the audience, Stone said following the release of the 1992 film, which made her a household name, she would cry over the unequal payment of men and women in the industry.
She said: “After Basic Instinct, no one wanted to pay me. I remember sitting in my kitchen with my manager and just crying and saying: ‘I’m not going to work until I get paid’. I still got paid so much less than any men.”
Stone is the latest actress to speak about the gross inequalities between male and female actors in Hollywood, joining the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Paltrow spoke out after it emerged her Iron Man co-star Robert Downey Jr was the highest paid actor of 2015.
Downey Jr earned $111 million, while the highest paid actress, Jennifer Lawrence, earned $39 million.
Paltrow said: “Nobody is worth the money that Robert Downey Jr is worth. But if I told you the disparity you would probably be surprised.”
“Your salary is a way to quantify what you’re worth. If men are being paid a lot more for doing the same thing, it feels shitty.”
Arquette brought the issue to mainstream attention when she pleaded for “wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America” during her acceptance speech for her role in Boyhood at the Oscars in February, 2015.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments