Ellen Pompeo Opens Up About Backlash For Huge Salary
Recently, fans have shown anger when specific financial contracts end up unveiled. One example is Good Morning America hosts Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts. After mass layoffs at GMA, fans have pointed to how much the two hosts make while behind-the-scenes workers lose their jobs. Now, fans have lashed out at Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo.
Here is how much Pompeo makes per episode of Grey’s Anatomy, what the fans have said, and how Ellen has now responded to the complaints.
Ellen Pompeo’s Grey’s Anatomy Salary Is Massive
Ellen Pompeo, 55, has starred in Grey’s Anatomy since the show’s first season. She plays Meredith Grey, and the show is named after her character. While it is an ensemble show, she is one of only remaining cast members from the premiere season, and she makes the most of anyone on the show.
Other than Pompeo, the other lasting cast members are Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey and James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber. However, while fans love both of those characters, Meredith Grey is still the biggest selling point for the show, even as her role has lessened in recent seasons.
In 2018, fans learned how much she makes. The leaked numbers show that Ellen makes $20 million. Her salary was $575,000 per episode with a seven-figure signing bonus. At the time, she said her manager warned her that fans would turn on her when they heard the money because no one wants to be happy for that kind of success (via Fox News).
However, this is not unusual. In later seasons, the Friends cast made $1 million per episode, so Ellen was actually making less on her show. The Big Bang Theory main cast also made $1 million each per episode when that show ended. For Ellen, she didn’t get her raise until she learned how much Patrick Dempsey was making and wanted equal pay.
Ellen Pompeo Answers Critics About Grey’s Anatomy Salary
Now, years later, Ellen Pompeo opened up about fans’ reactions to her salary and how many people turned on her because of what the network paid her. She admitted on Tuesday’s Call Her Daddy episode that it surprised her that people were unwilling to be happy for someone who finds success.
‘Generally, it is hard for people to celebrate other people if they have something that resembles something that they want,” Pompeo said (via Daily Mail). “It’s a lot, and it’s patriarchy, and it’s misogyny,” she added, mentioning that no one says these things to men making millions of dollars.
“Sports players are celebrated for their contracts. Not saying they’re not worth it, but I mean, it’s OK for them to celebrate it,” she added. “It’s my face, it’s my voice. I’ve done so much work promoting the show all over the world for the past 20 years. I know the show has generated this much money; I definitely deserve a percentage of that.”
What are your thoughts on Ellen Pompeo’s reasoning behind the hate for her making great money on Grey’s Anatomy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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