• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Most Powerful Women

Michelle Williams Was ‘Shattered’ When She Found Out Her Pay Was 1% of Mark Wahlberg’s

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 8, 2018, 4:05 PM ET

Back in January, the world learned just how egregious the gender pay gap can be when news broke that actress Michelle Williams earned less than 1% of her co-star Mark Wahlberg for reshoots of the film All the Money in the World. While the male actor received $1.5 million for his work, Williams received $80 per day—a total of less than $1,000.

Williams largely stayed out of the spotlight during the controversy and if she was outraged, didn’t show it. The statement she released at the time focused on the support she received, rather than on her personal experience. “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.”

One of those fellow actresses, Ashley Judd, said during a Tuesday panel at the Bloomberg Business of Equality summit that though Williams didn’t publicly react at the time, she was “shattered” by the knowledge. Judd also confirmed Williams’ account, telling the audience that people in their network “started calling the bosses over the weekend” and fought to get Williams the pay she deserved from William Morris Endeavor, a talent that also represents Wahlberg (and thus negotiated both his $1.5 million paycheck and her $1,000 one). Wahlberg later donated his entire salary to Time’s Up, a legal defense fund that provides subsidized support to those who have experienced workplace sexual harassment, assault, or abuse. WME added another $50o,000 to the donation.

For more, subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

suburb
Real EstateHousing
Another month, another record-high home price: March hits $408,800—the 33rd straight increase
By Jake AngeloApril 14, 2026
24 minutes ago
A couple being shown around a home by a realtor.
Real EstateHomeownership
Home sales just fell 3.6%—and the spring buying season may not save them
By Tristan BoveApril 14, 2026
26 minutes ago
Trump’s economy officially passes Biden’s for worst consumer sentiment in recorded history
EconomyConsumer
Trump’s economy officially passes Biden’s for worst consumer sentiment in recorded history
By Nick LichtenbergApril 14, 2026
46 minutes ago
xi jinping
EconomyRecession
Xi Jinping says the world order is ‘crumbling into disarray.’ Larry Fink and the IMF are worried about a global recession
By Nick LichtenbergApril 14, 2026
47 minutes ago
TOKYO, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 3: Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a talk session with SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at an event titled "Transforming Business through AI" in Tokyo, Japan, on February 03, 2025. SoftBank and OpenAI announced that they have agreed a partnership to set up a joint venture for artificial intelligence services in Japan today. (Photo by Tomohiro Oh
CybersecuritySam Altman
From Molotov cocktails to data center shutdowns, the AI backlash is turning revolutionary
By Eva RoytburgApril 14, 2026
48 minutes ago
trump
EconomyManufacturing
Trump’s macho MAGA economy is a bust. But there are plenty of high-paying jobs for men—in nursing and teaching
By Nick LichtenbergApril 14, 2026
55 minutes ago

Most Popular

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
Success
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
1 day ago
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
Commentary
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
11 hours ago
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
Success
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
14 hours ago
Current price of gold as of April 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 13, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
1 day ago
‘I’m not going to force you’: Duolingo CEO backs off from evaluating employees on their AI usage 
Workplace Culture
‘I’m not going to force you’: Duolingo CEO backs off from evaluating employees on their AI usage 
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
1 day ago
'People are trying to be creative': Tariff-battered American companies are so cash-starved they are using refund claims as collateral for loans
Economy
'People are trying to be creative': Tariff-battered American companies are so cash-starved they are using refund claims as collateral for loans
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.