Shonda Rhimes wants to make it clear: “I am the highest-paid showrunner in television"

The Hollywood Reporter

Rhimes said at Elle magazine's Women in Hollywood celebration Monday night that reports of her Netflix deal being in the neighborhood of $100 million weren't accurate, though she wouldn't say how much she's making. Inspired by Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo, Rhimes said women should "brag" about their salaries. “Ryan Murphy, bless your amazingly talented heart,” Rhimes said. “When Ryan made his amazing deal with Netflix, what did he do? He shouted his salary to the world and he did this gorgeous cover shoot and photo for The Hollywood Reporter and he deserved every minute of it. I applaud him...When I made a deal with Netflix, I let them interview my salary wrong in the press, and then I did as few interviews as possible and I put my head down and worked. In other words, I hid. I’m getting this award for inspiring other women; how can I inspire anyone if I’m hiding?” That's when she declared “I am the highest-paid showrunner in television," prompting a standing ovation from the likes of the ballroom and Women in Hollywood honorees Lady Gaga, Charlize Theron, Angela Bassett, Keira Knightley, Sarah Paulson, Mia Farrow and Yara Shahidi. “My point is that we need to set an example, because I am awesome and we are awesome which is another way of saying we have power," she said. "We are powerful women and when we say we have power, what we are really saying is that we deserve to have power. We deserve whatever good thing it is that we are getting. Demanding what you deserve can feel like a radical act."