People are losing it over Ellen Pompeo calling out a magazine for its lack of diversity
20 November 2018, 14:26 | Updated: 20 November 2018, 14:27
"I didn't see enough colour when I walked in the room today."
Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo participated in a conversation with Gabrielle Union, Gina Rodriguez, and Emma Roberts for Net-a-Porter that primarily focused on the inequality of women and people of colour in Hollywood.
The four actresses touched on a lot of different subjects, from the wage gap to the representation of women of colour in the industry. They each brought unique and important perspectives of their own experiences in Hollywood.
It was a statement by Ellen Pompeo calling out the set they were currently on that had people on the internet praising her for being a good ally.
"This day has been incredible, and there's a ton of women in the room. But I don't see enough colour. And I didn't see enough colour when I walked in the room today," Ellen explained.
"I had a meeting with the director of another endorsement project that I'm doing. I said 'when I show up on set I would like to see the crew look like the world that I walk around in every day'. And I think it's up to all productions to make sure the crew looks like the world we see."
Gabrielle Union and Gina Rodriguez were visibly impressed with Ellen's statement, and the women even did a toast to it.
Ellen went on to make more great points about being an ally, pointing out that because the topic of diversity and equal pay could sometimes put women of colour in uncomfortable positions, it was the job of white allies to speak up as often as possible.
The internet was SO impressed with Ellen Pompeo.
ellen pompeo SNAPPED pic.twitter.com/CUjIchreUW
— izabelle (@meredithsgrwy) November 16, 2018
1) White people sometimes ask me how they can be an ally. @EllenPompeo puts on a master class in how to be one.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 20, 2018
2) @itsgabrielleu’s facial expressions are a whole ass mood.
pic.twitter.com/niEQfPPdMI
Ellen Pompeo is truly THAT bitch https://t.co/LanCkUcGYt
— lil spooks (@HowBoutNoBitch) November 19, 2018
They thought Ellen Pompeo was just gonna sit there and look pretty 😅 the woman has been working w/ Shonda for 16 years and she has birracial kids!!!! so great that it wasn't Gabrielle who had to say what needed To be said
— thank u, next. (@CarineK) November 19, 2018
Gabrielle and Gina's reactions spoke volumes as well.
Gina Rodriguez and Gabrielle Union's faces here when Ellen Pompeo names a lack of diversity in the room is just giving me life pic.twitter.com/fYomEkRcEk
— Gordon (@gordoni_) November 20, 2018
Anyway, good morning. pic.twitter.com/K2XOKGvXcb
— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) November 20, 2018
and @HereIsGina's look down to the floor with that little smile pic.twitter.com/BUsiQjlzY4
— Jenny Yang 👲🏼👲🏼👲🏼 (@jennyyangtv) November 20, 2018
Without giving Ellen all the credit here (because Gabrielle and Gina's stories were first person accounts of feeling insecure and undervalued), her acknowledgment of privilege is the perfect example of how to speak up and be an ally.
