Grey’s Anatomy Star Ellen Pompeo Squashes Misogynist Rumor About Her $20 Million Paycheck
This past January, Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo became dramatic television’s highest-earning actress when she signed a new deal with ABC Studios to make over $20 million per year on the beloved medical drama which is, incredibly, in its 14th season. That same month, the actress penned a delightfully candid essay about her journey to asking for what she deserves. “[The] truth is, anybody can be good on a show Season 1 and 2,” Pompeo wrote. “Can you be good 14 years later? Now, that’s a fuckin’ skill.” On Thursday, some six weeks later, Deadline reported that two of Pompeo’s long-time female cast members Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew will depart the series after the current season ends, noting that the exits follow Pompeo’s massive renegotiation. In the hours since the report was published, Pompeo has made it clear she will not stand for anyone even suggesting that her renegotiation is responsible for anyone’s departure from the series.
On Thursday, Pompeo called Deadline out on Twitter, writing, “It’s unfortunate that @DEADLINE chooses to try to pit women against each other on #InternationalWomensDay #shameonyounotme.” She added, “I’m a big girl @DEADLINE can take shots at me if they want but to the fans please don’t fall into that trap. This is above my pay grade.”
Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff supported her star on the social-media platform, adding, “The suggestion in the Deadline article that our cast changes are in any way related to Ellen Pompeo’s salary renegotiation is wrong and hurtful and misguided. It smacks of an old, broken, patriarchal notion that women must be pitted against each other and that one woman’s success will be costly to others. Ellen Pompeo has not only advocated passionately for her fellow cast members, she has taken the time to educate women worldwide as to how to advocate for themselves and that must not now be twisted. The decision to make changes to our cast was a creative one.”
Deadline has since published an update to its story, clarifying that, “there is no such connection [between the renegotiation and the exit] that we are aware of. Because this has become an issue, pitting women against each other on International Women’s Day, we are making it clear.”
In January, Pompeo also revealed that she asked her male co-star Patrick Dempsey on multiple occasions to negotiate alongside her—but Dempsey declined. “At one point, I asked for $5,000 more than him just on principle, because the show is Grey’s Anatomy and I’m Meredith Grey. They wouldn’t give it to me. And I could have walked away, so why didn’t I? It’s my show . . . I’m not going to let a guy drive me out of my own house.’ ”
Ultimately, Pompeo stayed with the series. And after Dempsey departed, the actress was pleased to see that she had indeed been the draw all along.
“So, what does it look like when he leaves the show?” Pompeo said. “First, it looks like a ratings spike, and I had a nice chuckle about that.”
