Yesterday, Media Take Out told you that actress Tarajo P Henson is on the hot seat. At least one executive at Warner Bros, the studio behind Tara’s new film The Color Purple – believes that Taraji’s recent press tour – where she talked about discrimination on film sets – has undermined the film.
Now Taraji is trying to turn things around for herself.
Tara’s recent comments about her experience with pay disparity in Hollywood — and the revelation that she nearly turned down the Broadway musical adaptation because she felt lowballed — went viral.
And those comments may have inadvertently tanked the film’s success, Media Take Out learned.
Now Taraji is asking that the attention return to the film, and not to her woes in Hollywood.
In an interview with Today, Taraji said, “I hope they can focus back onto this film, because right now, to me, it feels like what I said is now becoming louder than this beautiful film.”
“And that’s not fair to me, or anybody in the film,” Henson continues, “because the film deals with women who are oppressed — who live in an oppressed system. Men and women. And all the characters in that film except for the white people. So that movie is about healing. That movie is about sisterhood.”
Then Taraji turned her comments towards Oprah.
“You saw [Oprah] doing the electric slide in the dust with us. She was right there in the field doing the electric slide. She held our hands the entire production. She showed up, she was there — there are producers that don’t show up on set.”
The “Empire” star explained how Oprah “would step in and do whatever (she) could to make it right” on set.
In an interview with Today, Taraji explained, “You know, she called me, she called me personally … Not my team, not my people — me. And asked me, ‘Taraji, if there’s anything you need, you let me know.’ And I said it with a shaking voice, I was like, ‘Well, yeah,’ — since she asked. And I told her and she fixed everything the next day.”
Though Oprah was not “in charge” of the film’s budget because it was Warner Bros.’ responsibility, Taraji applauded the producer for stepping up, adding “That’s what a producer is supposed to do.”
“And what you’re not gonna do is pit two Black women together — not on my watch,” she adds.
