The Will & Grace star Debra Messing walked the red carpet on Sunday evening at the 75th Golden Globe Awards and dragged E! Entertainment (DStv 124) on its own red carpet with red carpet co-host Giuliana Rancic, slamming E! for its pay gap disparity and for refusing to pay women as much as men.
Several women wore black on Sunday to the 75th Golden Globe Awards in keeping with the theme of "Time's Up" that was also used as a social media hashtag, to draw attention to the fight over gender and racial inequality.
Laura Dern and Eva Longoria also called out and slammed E! Entertainment for its pay inequality and paying women less than men uring E! Entertainment's red carpet coverage.
When Giuliana Rancic asked Debra Messing why she is wearing black, Debra Messing said "I am wearing black to thank and honour all of the brave whistle-blowers who came forward and shared their stories of harassment and assault".
Then Debra Messing continued to slam E! for the way E! Entertainment is treating women, following the revelation last month that the E! News co-presenter Catt Sadler had quit since E! refused to pay her as much as Jason Kennedy, and that E! was paying Jason Kennedy almost double what she earns.
The NBCUniversal pay-TV channel doesn't want to talk about the issue and why women are being paid less, with E! that in a statement only said "E! compensates employees fairly and appropriately based on their roles, regardless of gender".
Debra Messing told Giuliana Rancic in her E!'s red carpet interview that "I was so shocked to hear that E! doesn’t believe in paying their female co-hosts the same as their male co-hosts".
"I miss Catt Sadler. We stand with her. And that’s something that can change tomorrow – we want people to start having this conversation that women are just as valuable as men.”
Giuliana Rancic said she agrees with Debra Messing, saying "this is really what this movement is all about".
“Absolutely. I think that that is really what this movement is all about, right? We have an amazing platform here. You know, there are a lot of big, great voices here tonight who can speak on behalf of people around, not just the country, around the world, who don't have those voices.”
Eva Longoria told Ryan Seacrest on E! Entertainment that "“We support gender equity and equal pay and we hope E! follows that lead with Catt as well,” while she stood alongside Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman. “We stand with you Catt.”
Sarah Jessica Parker told Ryan Seacrest on E! that she knows that paying women less and pay inequality has “affected your network”, saying “parity, equality and safe work environments shouldn’t be controversial. And it’s across all industries”.