The end of 2017 was filled with women in showbiz taking back power. One of these women was E! News anchor, Catt Sadler, who just left the E! team after learning that her co-anchor with similar responsibilities made twice her salary. You read that right: as Sadler said in a blog post, “In fact, he [Jason Kennedy] was making close to double my salary for the past several years.”
Sadler has been at E! for over a decade. She recently added her own show Daily Pop to her responsibilities as a co-anchor of E! News. Her decision to leave came after the discussion of her contract renewal with the E! team and after she and her team, “asked for what [she] knew [she] deserve[d] and were denied repeatedly.”
Sadler’s choice was met with a massive outpouring of support. Many have tweeted their reassurance and encouragement:
She’s a badass.
— Deborah Lurie (@deborahlurie) December 20, 2017
Check this out! #EqualPay https://t.co/2FTaz0GKgI
— Alexandra Halaby (@iskandrah) December 20, 2017
I’ve always thought you were the real star over there! Here’s to your next journey where you’re treated and paid like the rockstar you are!
— Erin Robinson (@ErinRobinson) December 20, 2017
Jessica Chastain, a vocal advocate for women’s equality in media, also tweeted her support:
WOW this is so disappointing. When are companies like @e_entertainment going to understand that women should be paid fairly. 1/2 of her male counterpart is not appropriate. https://t.co/n2zrpTK8XE
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) December 20, 2017
Sadler isn’t done yet. She ended her blog post by saying, “I will find more work. I will create content with meaning. I will continue to pursue my passions while making my children proud. The way I see it, I have an obligation to be an agent for change…This chapter is over and a new one begins.”