Following Catt Sadler’s departure from E! News because of pay disparity and gender inequality, Jason Kennedy‘s wife defended her husband after he faced backlash on social media for not standing up for his co-host.
“I believe in female empowerment and gender equality, but it is heartbreaking that a network (that truly cares about its employees) is being deemed as sexist when that is simply not true. At one time my husband had a female co-anchor on E! News who made three times his salary,” Lauren Scruggs’ statement on her website read. “Women are paid accordingly on this network, and the difference in his salary versus theirs did not affect Jason whatsoever because he knows there are always more components to consider when determining one’s salary than gender alone.”
Sadler departed E! Entertainment after more than a decade once she discovered Kennedy was making double her salary for the same amount of work. Notably, in her full explanation of why she left, Sadler defended Kennedy, saying she adored him and “so lovingly refer to him as my ‘tv husband’ and I mean it.”
Sadler made it clear her issue was with the network, not with Kennedy.
Scruggs, who is not employed by E! Entertainment, said there are “two sides to every story.”
“If he ever heard that gender inequality was occurring at his workplace, he would take action,” Scruggs wrote. “Instead, it’s the contrary, and the numerous phone calls we have had these past two days from both current and former female employees at E! only support what he has seen in his time there. These women have assured us that they never felt gender inequality was at play at any time.”
The “Still LoLo” writer continued, “His name has been dragged through the mud regarding nothing he did, except be a great friend and colleague to those who work alongside him … I will always stand on truth, and I cannot stand by and be silent when the foundation of a story that affects my family is not based on that.”
Scruggs tweeted out the link, and her husband responded, “I love you Lo, thank you for sharing…”
Sadler’s tenure at E! began in 2006 and she worked on “E! News” until her departure. She was one of three co-hosts on the daytime talk show “Daily Pop,” which launched in May, and hosted many of E!’s “Live From the Red Carpet” shows.