Reese Witherspoon has recalled the moment at the 2002 Oscars when her then-husband, Ryan Phillippe, made a quip about their pay discrepancies on stage.
The couple, who have two children together, were presenting the award for best makeup at the annual awards ceremony.
However, just as Phillippe was about to announce the winner, Witherspoon interjected, “Let me read it”.
Phillippe smiled and replied: “You make more than I do, go ahead,” before handing her the envelope with the winner’s name inside.
Now, almost 20 years later, Witherspoon has revealed that the exchange was not scripted.
After being questioned about the moment on the HFPA in Conversation podcast, Reese was replied: “You’re reminding me of that! I forgot that ever happened. But you’re right, he did say that, and no, it wasn’t scripted.”
The couple were married from 1999 to 2008 and starred in Cruel Intentions together.
Expanding on her ex’s comments, Witherspoon said she doesn’t know what motivated him to this day but added that women are frequently shamed for their success.
“There’s so few women that make a lot of money that sometimes they’re shamed for it, and sometimes they are expected to give more and do more and be more to others in the same position that, say, a male movie star would not be expected to,” she said.
“But I do think gender norms have changed quite a bit since that moment in 2000 or something.”
The actor went on to recall how her 21-year-old daughter, Ava, came home crying when she was a young school girl after being told by a classmate that her mother is “one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood”.
“’Don’t ever feel bad about your mum making money,’” Witherspoon recalls telling Ava. ‘”And don’t ever feel bad if you make money, and don’t be embarrassed or ashamed if it’s more than your partner.”‘