Catt Sadler has left E! News, saying in a statement posted to her official website Tuesday that she has received a “massive disparity in pay.”
Sadler, who worked at E! for almost 12 years, shared details on her blog about her departure from her anchor duties.
She expressed her hurt and shock after learning that her male co-host Jason Kennedy makes “double” her salary. She said she was unaware of the difference in salaries until she became host of the network’s live show, Daily Pop.
Sadler found her double-hosting duties “creatively challenging but genuinely one of the most fulfilling years of my professional career.”
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She said that during that period, she learned of the wage gap during negotiations to renew her contract.
“An executive from E! brought something alarming to my attention — namely, that there was a massive disparity in pay between my similarly situated male co-host and myself,” Sadler wrote. “Most recently, when E! reached out to renew and extend my deal, I learned that he wasn’t just making a little more than I was. In fact, he was making close to double my salary for the past several years.”
Sadler went on to mention how she and “TV husband” Kennedy began their careers with the network around the same time.
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She wrote: “I so lovingly refer to him as my ‘tv husband’ and I mean it. But how can I operate with integrity and stay on at E! if they’re not willing to pay me the same as him? 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?”
Sadler asserted that the pay disparity is not Kennedy’s “fault.”
“Jason Kennedy is one of my best friends in the whole wide world. He is like a brother to me. And in no way do I want this to reflect poorly on him,” she shared. “He’s devastated, I think, and I think he believes that this is a great loss for the network. He does not want to see me go. Jason is a class act … It’s important that people don’t vilify him because he isn’t the problem — the system’s the problem, the structure’s the problem. And I really do mean that. Because that’s been a hard part of this whole thing because I love him dearly. And to be honest, he has been such a champion for me in every sense. But it’s not his decision.”
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Sadler said that the gender pay gap continues to remain an issue in the workforce but it’s something she and her team fought hard to overcome but were “denied repeatedly.”
“Information is power. Or it should be,” she continued. “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.”
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Sadler emphasized that her decision to leave E! was difficult but she advised her readers to know their worth.
“It’s scary,” she said. “I am a single mother of two boys. The unknown can be terrifying, but it can also be the most beautiful gift. Countless brave women have come forward this year to speak their truth. Females refuse to remain silent on issues that matter most because without our voices, how will we invoke lasting change? How can we make it better for the next generation of girls if we do not stand for what is fair and just today?”
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Sadler hopes that with her exit from E!, she can be an “agent for change.”
In a statement to People, an E! spokesperson said on behalf of both the network and Kennedy, “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.”
Tuesday was Sadler’s last day on E! News and Daily Pop. She took to Twitter to express her gratitude to her fans after publicly addressing her decision to leave.
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Kennedy also shared a goodbye message to Sadler on Twitter.
Many people who work in the entertainment industry took to social media to thank Sadler for sharing her story.
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Jennifer Lawrence took to Facebook on Wednesday to repost Sadler’s statement.
Morgan Stewart, star of E!‘s Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, thanked Sadler for their friendship.
Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain said the news of the pay difference “is so disappointing.”
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