Following backlash from reports that Mark Wahlberg was paid 1,000 times more than his co-star Michelle Williams for the All the Money in the World reshoots, Wahlberg announced that he would be donating $1.5 million to the Time’s Up legal fund in Williams' name. Williams responded to the donation in a statement to USA Today.
“Today isn’t about me," the statement read. “My fellow actresses stood by me and stood up for me, my activist friends taught me to use my voice, and the most powerful men in charge, they listened and they acted. If we truly envision an equal world, it takes equal effort and sacrifice."
The uproar over Wahlberg and Williams' pay gap came last Wednesday when USA Today reported that the highest-paid actor in the world requested $1.5 million to reshoot scenes from the Scott Ridley film, while Williams voluntarily made only $1,000. Reshoots were scheduled when All the Money in the World's original star Kevin Spacey had to be scrubbed out after news of his alleged sexual misconduct broke. Scott replaced Spacey with Christopher Plummer, but Wahlberg reportedly refused to do any reshooting until he was paid over a million dollars.
Wahlberg’s donation to Time’s Up could simply be an effort to save face amid the backlash, but it does benefit a cause Williams has spearheaded along with other women in the entertainment industry. The movement was introduced in a New York Times ad at the beginning of January with signatures from 300 actresses, writers, producers, and others. The cause follows the #MeToo movement and provides funds for legal cases against sexual harassment, assault, and gender inequality. During last week’s Golden Globes, Williams brought #MeToo founder Tarana Burke as her date.
