Thursday, January 18, 2024

Taraji P. Henson Says Taking the Focus Away From The Color Purple is Unfair


Two weeks ago Taraji P. Henson stole the thunder from The Color Purple premier after starting a racially charged conversation about pay disparity during the movie rollout [click here if you missed that].

Now Taraji says it's unfair that the attention was taken away from the movie...

From Today
“I hope they can focus back onto this film, because right now, to me, it feels like what I said is now becoming louder than this beautiful film,” Henson tells TODAY.com, while promoting her Always Discreet brand partnership."
“And that’s not fair to me, or anybody in the film,” Henson continues, “because the film deals with women who are oppressed — who live in an oppressed system. Men and women. And all the characters in that film except for the white people. So that movie is about healing. That movie is about sisterhood.”
Speaking with TODAY.com, Henson addressed Winfrey’s comments and the recent headlines, saying, “There’s nothing to spin!”
“I see what’s going on, but there’s nothing spin there,” she tells TODAY. “You saw the woman doing the electric slide in the dust with us. She was right there in the field doing the electric slide. She held our hands the entire production. She showed up, she was there — there are producers that don’t show up on set.”
The “Empire” star also backed up Winfrey’s comments to ET, in an interview in which she said that she “would step in and do whatever (she) could to make it right” on set.
“You know, she called me, she called me personally,” Henson tells TODAY.com. “Not my team, not my people — me. And asked me, ‘Taraji, if there’s anything you need, you let me know.’ And I said it with a shaking voice, I was like, ‘Well, yeah,’ — since she asked. And I told her and she fixed everything the next day.”
Though Winfrey had noted in her ET interview she “was not in charge” of the film’s budget because it was Warner Bros.’ responsibility, Henson still applauded the producer for stepping up, adding “That’s what a producer is supposed to do.”
“And what you’re not gonna do is pit two Black women together — not on my watch,” she adds.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wasn't it all started with her breaking down over being paid peanuts. I heard it was some ode to the Alphabet Gang. And Whoopie the main character we would have loved to see again was not even in it. Was bound to fail. And lets not talk about the Producer.

Anonymous said...

^^^ Now they're making Taraji feel bad for speaking truth to power. I'd keep my tears to myself. MFs would not have me breaking down on video.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't care less about the film.

Anonymous said...

The movie was GREAT. Salute to Alice Walker! The production was fantastic!

Anonymous said...

Yup sounds like they guilt trippin her cuz they wanted to keep the bulk of the budget $$ when the actors were doing the real bulk of the work!

LOLOL said...

This movie didn't need to be made. The original is played on rerun so many times it played out. OW want leave it alone because that was the only movie, she was in that was successful. Let it go already.

Tiff said...

5:53 am - Did you even see it?? Whoopi was the midwife who delivered Celie's baby at the beginning.

Anonymous said...

No interest in seeing the movie after I was told the focus was on two women's love for each other.

Anonymous said...

Thank you 9:20! I was about to write the same thing! 5:53 is one of those haters who didn’t even watch the movie she’s judging!

Anonymous said...

She looks fat and acts very high maintenance. For what though? She embarrassed her self being selfish and needy, as usual. Bye Taraji see you on Tubi!

Anonymous said...

^ I saw TPH at a Q & A in NYC a few months ago. I was surprised to see she had gained a lot of weight. That also keeps an actress from getting acting roles.

Anonymous said...

5:53 yes Whoopie was in the movie...only a short time but she was in there.

Anonymous said...

This is exactly why a lot of these actors don’t do a lot of press and what they do is very controlled. It’s too easy to make a fool of yourself. She shot herself and her project in the foot on her own. Yes the issue needs to be discussed but common sense tells you that was not the time to discuss it. It seems like microphones make people crazy. The first three sentences in the second paragraph are further proof she needs to stop talking….or get a better PR person.

Anonymous said...

Awww. Taraji boo. Nobody was focused on that movie to begin with. And had planned on never seeing it...such as myself. So she probably put more focus on the movie than she realizes.

No Chiraq said...

You spoke negatively about the film while on it's press tour.
The film tanked, and now you're regretful? Bye.

Anonymous said...

Good for her.

Anonymous said...

So she let rich people make her feel bad for getting chump change? Smh. Fantasia is trying to go to the next level and so when Gayle asked Oprah about the situation, Fantasia hopped to her defense. So Fanny is team Oprah.

Anonymous said...

No one asked for this "remake" the creativity is lacking from hollyweird, they keep remaking films over, and ain't nobody checking for that mess, I didn't see the first one, I'm not into those depressing "black movies" I like to keep my vibrations high, while I know we have been through a traumatic past history, I can't hold on to a pass that is gone, I have to live in the present, holding on to the traumatic past will cause, you to continually live in fear, anger, depression and cause ill health, my ancestors already paid the price, and I will honor them by living my best life, and venerate them on my ancestral altar. I'm fully spiritually blessed and strapped for any obstacles that come my way. These are not my types of movies, I don't watch those or slave movies. I refuse to remain in anger and bitterness. This is what they want, including these gatekeepers, to keep you in a low vibrational frequency, so you cannot evolve spiritually, mentally or emotionally.

Anonymous said...

You speak FACTS Warrior Woman! I see you. Lol

Anonymous said...

She pulled back the curtain from a movie that is definitely played out and spoke bad about it when OW desperately needed good press and played the victim more than she played Suge Avery. I went to see it I love Fanny but she should of played Suge; she can sing, unfortunately was done with it after that.

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