Demi Moore says she 'earned' title of being higest paid actress in 1996

Demi Moore is reflecting upon being one of the highest paid actors back in the 90s.

The 63-year-old actress, who, who was named the highest paid actress in 1996, talks about refusing to bring herself down despite society pressure.

During Step Up’s 2026 Inspiration Awards in Los Angeles, Moore said: “I think language is really important. And I think when we look at something as a fight, I think againstness breeds againstness. So I don’t think that I was looking at it as fighting for something,” Moore said at the Sept. 25 event. “It was just simply asking the question of why not? Why should I not get equal to what I deserve? If I earned it, I shouldn’t just be given it to be given it.”

“I think the interesting piece is that when I became the highest-paid actress – why is it that, at that moment, the choice was to bring me down?” she questioned. “I don’t take this personally. I think anyone who had been in the position that was the first to get that kind of equality of pay would probably have taken a hit," she toldThe New York Times podcast The Interview,

“But because I did a film that was dealing with the world of stripping and the body, I was extremely shamed,” Moore added.