Demi Moore addresses 1996 ‘Striptease’ $12.5 Million salary criticism

Demi Moore recalls how she was criticised back in 1996 for landing Striptease with a hefty paycheck, becoming the highest paid female actor in the world.

“Well, with Striptease, it was as if I had betrayed women, and with G.I. Jane, it was as if I had betrayed men,” Moore said in a conversation with The New York Times’ The Interview podcast while promoting The Substance.

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

Moore, who was married to another Hollywood super star Bruce Willis at the time of her Striptease salary, said she never compared herself to him.

“It wasn’t about comparing myself to him. Yes, I saw what he got paid,” Moore said.

“It was really more about: ‘Why shouldn’t I? If I’m doing the same amount of work, why shouldn’t I?’”

“And it’s no different than when I did the cover for Vanity Fair pregnant. I didn’t understand why it was such a big deal, why women when they were pregnant needed to be hidden? Why is it that we have to deny that we had sex?" 

Further explaining, she said, "That’s the fear, right, that if you show your belly, that means, oh, my gosh, you’ve had sex.”