Jennifer Lawrence Is Done Holding Back About the Gender Pay Gap in Hollywood

Jennifer Lawrence | Photo Credits: Corbis

Jennifer Lawrence has opened up about the struggles of being a woman working in Hollywood in a powerful and scathing new essay for Lena Dunham's Lenny newsletter.

Lawrence begins by admitting that she has previously avoided publicly discussing feminism too much because she doesn't like partaking in things that feel like a trend, as opposed to a cause. "But with a lot of talk comes change," Lawrence writes, "so I want to be honest and open and, fingers crossed, not piss anyone off."

After the Sony hack revealed how much less Lawrence was being paid than her male co-stars, Lawrence saw just how serious and a pervasive an issue the gender pay gap is in Hollywood. And rather than get mad at Sony, "I got mad at myself," Lawrence says. "I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early. I didn't want to keep fighting over millions of dollars that, frankly, due to two franchises, I don't need.

"But if I'm honest with myself, I would be lying if I didn't say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight," she continues. "I didn't want to seem 'difficult' or 'spoiled.' At the time, that seemed like a fine idea, until I saw the payroll on the Internet and realized every man I was working with definitely didn't worry about being 'difficult' or 'spoiled.'"

This video truly is peak Jennifer Lawrence

Lawrence goes on to recall an incident a few weeks ago during which she expressed her opinion "in a clear and no-bullsh-- way; no aggression, just blunt," and the man who was working for her reacted as if she had yelled at him. "I was so shocked because nothing that I said was personal, offensive, or, to be honest, wrong," Lawrence says. "All I hear and see all day are men speaking their opinions, and I give mine in the same exact manner, and you would have thought I had said something offensive.

"I'm over trying to find the 'adorable' way to state my opinion and still be likable! F--- that," she continues. "I don't think I've ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It's just heard. Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves. If anything, I'm sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share.

"Again, this might have NOTHING to do with my vagina, but I wasn't completely wrong when another leaked Sony email revealed a producer referring to a fellow lead actress in a negotiation as a 'spoiled brat.'" Lawrence says. "For some reason, I just can't picture someone saying that about a man."

This article, Jennifer Lawrence Is Done Holding Back About the Gender Pay Gap in Hollywood, originally appeared on TVGuide.com.