Hollywood stars address sexism on Golden Globes red carpet

By Jessica Wedemeyer 5:25pm PST, Jan 7, 2018

The fight for equal pay and general equality was a major talking point during the 2018 Golden Globe Awards. Wonderwall.com rounded up some of the most inspiring and empowering quotes in support of the Time's Up movement, which aims to end sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace, starting with what one of the most celebrated actresses in the history of cinema had to say… Meryl Streep walked the red carpet with the director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-jen Poo, who organizes female immigrant workers. "I think people are aware, now, of a power imbalance, and it's something that leads to abuse," the A-list actress told Ryan Seacrest. "It's led to abuse in our own industry, and it's led to abuse across the domestic workers' field of work. It's in the military, it's in Congress, it's everywhere. And we want to fix that. And we feel sort of emboldened in this particular moment to stand together in a thick black line dividing then from now." Now keep reading for more!

E! News got their red carpet coverage rolling with a live interview with Debra Messing, who immediately told Giuliana Rancic how much she misses former E! host Catt Sadler, who resigned from her "dream" job at the TV network in December 2017 after discovering a "massive disparity in pay" between herself and co-host Jason Kennedy. "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," she said. "So we stand with her. And that's something [equal pay] that can change tomorrow, you know. We want people to start having this conversation that women are just as valuable as men." The "Will & Grace" star then discussed her decision to support the Time's Up movement and called on people of power in Hollywood and beyond to employ not just 50 percent women but 25 percent women of color within the workforce.

Eva Longoria also addressed Catt Sadler's parting of ways with E! during an interview with Ryan Seacrest, one of the network's top hosts: "We support gender equity and equal pay and we hope that E! follows that lead with Catt as well," she said. "We stand with you, Catt!"

Michelle Williams walked the red carpet with the founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke, the senior director of the nonprofit Girls for Gender Equity. "The most exciting thing is that I thought I would have to raise my daughter to learn how to protect herself in a dangerous world, and I think because of the work Tarana has done and the work I am learning how to do, we actually have the opportunity to hand our children a different world," the actress told Ryan Seacrest. "I am moved beyond measure to be standing next to this woman, I have tears in my eyes and a smile on my face."

Emma Watson walked the red carpet with Marai Larasi, executive director of Imkaan, a British network of organizations working to end violence against black and minority women. "We've been working together this year and when Michelle Williams spearheaded the idea of actresses bringing activists on the red carpet, my first thought was, 'It would be so great to do it with Marai, because we have fun together, we challenge each other," the actress told Ryan Seacrest. Added Marai, "There's something about women in Hollywood speaking out. There is a wall of silence around violence against women and girls and every time somebody speaks out, it just creates a bit of a crack in that wall."

Laura Dern walked the red carpet with Mónica Ramírez, the head of the National Farmworkers Women's Alliance, which fights sexual violence against farmworkers and pushes for Latina empowerment. "I'm very, very excited to be here with Mónica Ramírez," the actress told Ryan Seacrest. "I reached out to her to say that she stood with all the 700,000 women farm workers in solidarity for the women in our industry who were brave enough to speak out about sexual harassment and assault." Added the actress, "We need all the powers that be and all the industries and all the networks … to help us with closing the gender pay gap. … 50/50 by 2020!"

Reese Witherspoon chatted with NBC about her decision to spearhead the Time's Up movement: "It just became clear that with all of the news that's been coming out about our industry and every industry that it couldn't just be business as normal," she said. "We really wanted to stand up and do something for all people and say that time's up for abuse in the workplace." Added the actress, "It's been so emotional even seeing the women from Ford motor company coming forward and telling their stories and men as well, with Terry Crews and Anthony Rapp, and it's their bravery that allows us to be here today and establish the legal defense fund and raise money for so many people."

"I think we've realized the scope of what we've lost, the creative contributions of people who've been pushed out of the industry, women like Annabella Sciorra, women like Mira Sorvino and Ashley Judd," Natalie Portman told NBC on the red carpet. "When we think about other industries and the women who've been pushed out of there and the contributions we have lost and also the pain that they've been through because of that, the time to change is now and time's up."

"The reason we're here and didn't just stay home is because we feel we shouldn't have sit out the night, give up our seats at the table, our voice in this industry because of bad behavior that wasn't ours," Kerry Washington told NBC's Al Roker. "We get to be here to celebrate each other and stand in joy and solidarity and say we are looking out for anybody who feels marginalized in the workplace, whether you're a woman or man, because of your sexual orientation, age, race, gender, we're here to support you. We're committed to making a change not just in our industry, but in every industry."

Sarah Jessica Parker opened up about the Time's Up movement with Ryan Seacrest: "It's been thrilling," she said. "I'm incredibly excited; I'm impressed by the work that is being done. I know you've spoken to a lot of my sisters tonight who have been in the trenches, but I think it's an enormous show of support." Added the A-list actress, "I think it speaks to the appetite, to the climate that exists. This is a conversation, as complicated as it is, it seems to be very welcomed by everybody." Concluded SJP, "It's a privilege to work among women that I've admired for so long that I never even thought I'd get to meet. To see them do this sort of work and commit themselves is really quite something. It's an exciting and daunting job and we are all dying to dive into the work ahead."

"It's a coming out," Viola Davis told Carson Daly of the Time's Up movement. "It's all of these women embracing their voices and standing in solidarity with each other. People kind of feel like Hollywood is out of touch at times. I hear the voices of women who said 'me too.' One of those was me. … I hear those voices. Someone says there's no prerequisites to worthiness, you're born being worthy, and I think that's a message that a lot of women need to hear. … They need to understand that it's not their fault and they're not dirty. That's my message tonight."

"It's so incredible to look around and see everyone in solidarity, ready to really address the issues that exist in our industry and across all industries," America Ferrera told NBC on the red carpet. "It's our job — right now, the time is now — for us to do the work that will make women and all people more safe and more equal in their workplaces and in their lives."

Alison Brie, who donned a unique Zoulias ensemble featuring pants, joked to Giuliana Rancic of her getup, "Tonight is about women wearing the pants, so I chose to literally wear the pants." The "Glow" star added of the Time's Up movement, "It's important to me to stand with all of the women who have come forward about their own experiences with sexual harassment and abuse. I'm so in awe about that bravery. And it's important to stand with women who don't feel like they have a voice and represent them here. And I love that this movement is not just bout talking about an issue, it's actually about taking action for that issue and the Legal Defense Fund has been set up to provide aid for people who can't afford it."

"It means a lot to me and I think it means a lot to everyone," Justin Hartley, who walked the red carpet with wife Chrishell Stause, said of the Time's Up movement to E! "I think we all stand in solidarity here and I think we can all agree that time's up."

Susan Sarandon, who walked the red carpet with Rosa Clemente — a community organizer focused on political prisoners, voter engagement and Puerto Rican independence — opened up about the Time's Up movement on the red carpet: "It is not a protest — it's an action," said the actress. "It's being followed through with a defense fund and networking with others in different countries."

Billie Jean King, who walked the red carpet with Emma Stone, opened up about the Time's Up movement on the red carpet: "I think it's one step at a time. Every generation has to fight for equality and its now Emma's turn with her generation," said the tennis star. "And it's great to be here tonight wearing black. We really have to — it's gotta stop, it's gotta stop now. And we have to help each other and it's everybody, all genders together." Added the actress, "Billie Jean has been using tennis as a platform since the very beginning. … That's pretty much the conversation that happens with Billie Jean."

"We are all a united front," Allison Janney said on the red carpet. "We are taking action against things that have surfaced in our industry — and God knows they have been going on in all industries: the abuse of power and sexual harassment. I'm not sure it will ever go away, but we are making sure that people are able to take action against it."