When you talk about the wage gap in the entertainment industry, it is common for a layperson to feel like, “They’re already making so much money—what difference does it make?” Well, to Catt Sadler, it made a whole lot of a difference.
The longtime co-host of E!News, Sadler left the company she’s been a part of for 12 years after she found out that her co-host, Jason Kennedy, was making nearly double what she earned. Sadler first started working for E! on the show The Daily 10 and then for E!News. Kennedy has worked for the company for roughly the same amount of time; he joined the network in 2005 as a correspondent—12 years ago. So there isn’t even a seniority explanation for why Kennedy would be getting paid more.
In a blog post reposted on Buzzfeed, Sadler broke down quite eloquently why she refused to continue her contract with E!. “Information is power,” she said. “Or it should be. We are living in a new era. The gender pay gap is shrinking, although admittedly we have a long way to go. And well, I learned this first hand. My team and I asked for what I know I deserve and were denied repeatedly.” Even after negotiating, the company did not offer her the same pay.
Additionally, she sent a message that I found to be very powerful: “Know your worth.” Sadler has been working for the same amount of time as her colleague and knows that with her two decades of broadcasting experience, she has earned the respect, and pay, of her “TV husband.”
Sadler says she has no anger towards Kennedy. “But how can I operate with integrity and stay on at E! if they’re not willing to pay me the same as him?” she said. “Or at least come close? How can I accept an offer that shows they do not value my contributions and paralleled dedication all these years? How can I not echo the actions of my heroes and stand for what is right no matter what the cost? How can I remain silent when my rights under the law have been violated?”
It certainly could not have been easy to make this decision, especially since Sadler has not only been with the company for so long, but is also—despite how much money she may have—still a single mother with two boys. She is also her early 40s now, which is still very young, but in the world of broadcasting where people are so quick to replace women with the next youngest face, it is a risk.
E! released a statement to PEOPLE, saying that “E! compensates employees fairly and appropriately based on their roles, regardless of gender. We appreciate Catt Sadler’s many contributions at E!News and wish her all the best following her decision to leave the network.”
Yes, you appreciate her … just not enough to pay her the same as her co-host, someone who is her junior in age and experience.
(via Buzzfeed, image: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com)
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