Mark Wahlberg has pledged $1.5 million to the anti-sexual harassment fund Time’s Up. The donation comes in response to public outcry over the wage disparity on the reshoots of All the Money in the World.
In November, All the Money in the World director Ridley Scott made the unprecedented move to reshoot scenes featuring Kevin Spacey after the actor was accused of sexual misconduct. The process of replacing Spacey with Christopher Plummer was successfully completed a month before the film’s release.
Last week, USA Today reported that Wahlberg had received $1.5 million for the reshoots, whereas his castmate, Michelle Williams, received less than $1,000. USA Today added that Wahlberg would not approve Plummer’s casting until his salary demand was met.
Williams, however, offered to do the reshoots for free. “I said I’d be wherever they needed me, whenever they needed me,” she previously told USA Today. “And they could have my salary, they could have my holiday, whatever they wanted. Because I appreciated so much that they were making this massive effort.”
In a statement announcing the donation, Wahlberg said, “Over the last few days my reshoot fee for All the Money in the World has become an important topic of conversation. I 100 percent support the fight for fair pay and I’m donating the $1.5 million to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.” He added that the donation will be made in Williams’ name.
Additionally, WME, the talent agency which represents both Wahlberg and Williams, is making a $500,000 donation to Time’s Up.
“The current conversation is a reminder that those of us in a position of influence have a responsibility to challenge inequities, including the gender wage gap,” WME said. “In recognition of the pay discrepancy on the All the Money in the World reshoots, WME is donating an additional $500,000 to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund in Michelle Williams’ name, following our $1 million pledge to the organization earlier this month. It’s crucial that this conversation continues within our community and we are committed to being part of the solution.”
News of the pay disparity arrives as the entertainment industry continues to be plagued with accusations of sexual misconduct by men abusing their positions of power. At the Golden Globes last week, Williams was among the actors and actresses who wore black in support of the Time’s Up initiative fighting systemic sexual harrassment in Hollywood and blue-collar workplaces nationwide.
Tellingly, Williams received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in All the Money in the World, while Wahlberg, whom Forbes named the most overpaid actor of 2017, did not.
