Gabrielle Union Says Black Entertainers Are “One Or Two Checks” Away From Not Being Able To Pay Their Bills, Explains Communities Of Color Are Impacted The Most By Coronavirus

Gabrielle Union says Black entertainers are “one or two checks away” from not being able to pay their bills.

While they may be getting paid big money, it doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering amid the coronavirus pandemic, Union explains. The 47-year-old sat in for an Instagram Live chat with IG model #SharamDiniz and expressed how the pandemic is impacting communities of color within the entertainment industry.

“For all of the Oprah’s and the people who have just a lot a lot a lot a lot of money, most of us are one or two checks away from not having money to pay for all of our things; you know what I mean? So this stoppage of work and money is impacting marginalized celebrities the most,” the actress said. She added: “I think a lot of people need to understand the difference between fame and having money. And I think this quarantine is really revealing a lot in terms of – there’s a lot of people who are famous that don’t have wealth.”

In addition to her conversation with Diniz, Union took to Twitter to further explain her point, clearing up any confusion that her financial struggle is comparable to a regular, everyday person’s as well as the difference between fame and wealth. “DEFINITELY not comparing struggles. The question that was asked if you watch the whole thing was SPECIFICALLY about how this is impacting Hollywood/Black Hollywood. I have been at every level of the game, so I speak from personal experience. That is all. But let’s discuss,” Union wrote.

“The average SAG (actor union) actor makes around 54k a year, while VAST MAJORITY make less than 1k a year from acting work. If we just look at Black actors, those #s go down even further. Lets keep talking. Share your stories. Every actor whose name you recognize started somewhere,” she continued. She then opened up the table to those who wanted to share their own experiences of being impacted by COVID-19. “Also, this. I encourage yall to share your stories so folks can better understand the game.”

DEFINITELY not comparing struggles. The question that was asked if you watch the whole thing was SPECIFICALLY about how this is impacting Hollywood/Black Hollywood. I have been at every level of the game so I speak from personal experience. That is all. But let’s discuss. https://t.co/GMWGVL1MWJ

— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) May 3, 2020

The average SAG (actor union) actor makes around 54k a year, while VAST MAJORITY make less than 1k a year from acting work. If we just look at Black actors those #s go down even further. Lets keep talking. Share your stories. Every actor whose name you recognize started somewhere

— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) May 3, 2020