--- description: Gabrielle Union took the fight for equity to a new level by suing BET for "outrageous conduct" related to her payment title: Gabrielle Union Says Suing BET Is About Fixing the Wage Gap image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3eed85ce53ced0be/6988ad778e06014547468298/gabrielle-union-bet-lawsuit.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Gabrielle Union Says Suing BET Is About Fixing the Wage Gap by [Megan Lasher](/author/megan-lasher/) ## Megan Lasher Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 8, 2016 4:10 PM CUT  Gabrielle Union attends the premiere of Universal's "Almost Christmas" at Regency Village Theatre on November 3, 2016 in Westwood, California. Gabrielle Union attends the premiere of Universal's "Almost Christmas" at Regency Village Theatre on November 3, 2016 in Westwood, California.Tommaso Boddi—WireImage/Getty Images by [Megan Lasher](/author/megan-lasher/) ## Megan Lasher Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 8, 2016 4:10 PM CUT Many actresses are speaking out about Hollywood’s massive pay gap, but Gabrielle Union is taking the fight for equal pay to a new level by [suing BET](https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/gabrielle-union-complaint-wm.pdf "undefined") for [“outrageous conduct”](http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/10/gabrielle-union-being-mary-jane-lawsuit "undefined") related to her payment. Now, Union is elaborating on the lawsuit and what it means to her career. “I put in the same hours as most men and if not more. And I deserve to get paid the same. Equal pay, equal work. And that’s how it should be,” Union[ said in the November 3 episode](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gabrielle-union-i-deserve-to-get-paid-the-same-as-men%5Fus%5F5820c533e4b0d9ce6fbda705 "undefined") of _Watch What Happens Live!,_ according to the Huffington Post.”If you stand up for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.” She addressed fans’ fears that the lawsuit will prevent her from portraying the title character in BET’s _Being Mary Jane_. “I’m a pro and we all go to work, and Season 4 will air January 10 on BET,” Union said. “And hopefully in the meantime we can sort out some business that’s fair and reasonable and equitable to not just me, but our whole cast and our writers and our crew.” This isn’t the first time Union has spoken out about a polarizing issue. Earlier this year, she released a personal statement in the Los Angeles _Times_ [addressing ](http://motto.time.com/4477442/gabrielle-union-nate-parker-sexual-assault/ "undefined")[_Birth of a Nation_ ](http://motto.time.com/4477442/gabrielle-union-nate-parker-sexual-assault/ "undefined")[director Nate Parker’s sexual assault allegations](http://motto.time.com/4477442/gabrielle-union-nate-parker-sexual-assault/ "undefined"). She’s also [been a familiar face](http://motto.time.com/4519486/gabrielle-union-makeup-free-movement/ "undefined") in [Alicia Keys’](http://motto.time.com/4558369/alicia-keys-album-body-positive/ "undefined") makeup-free movement. [\[h/t Huffington Post\]](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gabrielle-union-i-deserve-to-get-paid-the-same-as-men%5Fus%5F5820c533e4b0d9ce6fbda705 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4562385/gabrielle-union-bet-lawsuit/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4562385/gabrielle-union-bet-lawsuit/"},"headline":"Gabrielle Union Says Suing BET Is About Fixing the Wage Gap","datePublished":"2016-11-08T16:10:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:03:48.266Z","description":"'I put in the same hours as most men and if not more'","url":"https://time.com/4562385/gabrielle-union-bet-lawsuit/","keywords":["motto"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3eed85ce53ced0be/6988ad778e06014547468298/gabrielle-union-bet-lawsuit.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan Lasher","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/megan-lasher/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3eed85ce53ced0be/6988ad778e06014547468298/gabrielle-union-bet-lawsuit.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Premiere Of Universal's \"Almost Christmas\" - Arrivals","caption":"Gabrielle Union attends the premiere of Universal's \"Almost Christmas\" at Regency Village Theatre on November 3, 2016 in Westwood, California.","creditText":"Tommaso Boddi—WireImage/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4562385/gabrielle-union-bet-lawsuit/","name":"Gabrielle Union Says Suing BET Is About Fixing the Wage Gap"}}]}] ```