Reese Witherspoon says women who earn ‘a lot of money’ are ‘ashamed’

Patrick Ryan

| USA TODAY

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Reese Witherspoon speaks out about wage dispute in Hollywood.

During a new episode of the podcast “HFPA in Conversation”, which was released on Christmas Day, journalist Margaret Gardiner Witherspoon recalled an incident during the 2002 Academy Awards, when the actress wore the best makeup with her then-husband, Ryan Phillippe, presented.

Witherspoon asked Phillippe if she could read the winner. “You deserve more than I do. Keep going,” he replies.

“I forgot it ever happened,” Witherspoon said on the podcast. “He did say it, and no, it was not written. He did not tell me he would say it before it happened on the air. So, I was a little fluke at the moment.”

Witherspoon went on to say that although ‘gender norms have changed a bit over the past two decades’, the few women in Hollywood who ‘earn a lot of money’ are still ‘ashamed’ of it.

“Sometimes they are expected to give more and do more and be more for others in the same position than a male movie star can not be expected,” she said.

The Oscar winner, who divorced Phillippe after seven years of marriage in 2006, remembers a moment when their daughter, Ava (21), was in second grade. She was ‘so embarrassed’ when a classmate raised her that Witherspoon was one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, the ‘Legally Blonde’ star said.

“I said, ‘Never be embarrassed if a woman makes money,'” Witherspoon said. “There are women around the world who do not have an opportunity or training or the ability to make money. The more women who earn more money will give away more money, take care of their societies, will take care of their communities, will do more with that money. ‘

Witherspoon, 44, has been prolific in front and behind the camera for the past year and a half, starring in and producing series including Apple TV’s “The Morning Show,” Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” and the second season of HBO’s “Big Little Lies “. “

Earlier this year, she announced that she was reviewing her role as the beloved Elle Woods in ‘Legally Blonde 3’, with a screenplay by Mindy Kaling and co-creator ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’, Dan Goor.

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