Octavia Spencer has opened up about how NBA star LeBron James helped her secure equal pay on the Netflix series “Madam C.J. Walker.”
Spencer stars in the hotly anticipated project about America’s first Black self-made millionaire, which is set to premiere on the streaming service with eight episodes.
“I have to say, when I was negotiating my deal for ‘Madam C.J.’, LeBron James had to intervene,” Spencer revealed during a panel at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. “So we need all our male counterparts to be in the fight with us.”
James served as an executive producer on the project.
“I think my goal is to make sure that all women of color get equal pay, and all women get equal pay,” Spencer continued, per IndieWire. “The only way to do it is to have these conversations, to talk numbers with your co-stars.”
In related news, according to Jackie MacMullan of ESPN, there seems to be some folks from James’ camp who want Lakers coach Luke Walton kicked to the curb.
“It’s clear to me, and probably to you, Brian, that LeBron’s camp would prefer a coaching change—they’re not too subtle about that,” MacMullan said per transcribed remarks from Score NBA news editor Chicco Nacon via 247sports.com.
“Not LeBron, but all the people around LeBron. There’s plenty of them and they’ve made it known. I don’t think this is a shock, is it?”
“There’s a lot of tension in that building. I think people are wondering about Luke Walton, even though (owner and president) Jeanie Buss came out very strongly and said, ‘I want Luke to be here, I back him 100 percent,’ but then also made the point that has to be made—and that is that she hired Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson to make these decisions.”
The Lakers are currently in ninth place, 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers.
