Mark Wahlberg To Donate $1.5 Million To Time’s Up In Michelle Williams’ Name

Mark Wahlberg was caught in the center of an uproar last week involving his work in the biographical drama film All the Money in the World — incidentally, the controversy also involved a large sum of money.

Mark Wahlberg Time’s Up Donation news

The 46-year-old Transformers actor was paid $1.5 million for the re-shoots of Ridley Scott’s crime thriller — which is based on the true 1973 kidnapping of teenager Paul Getty, the grandson of billionaire oil tycoon J.P. Getty — while Wahlberg’s co-star Michelle Williams only received around $1,000 in total, or around $80 per day.

Re-shoots began around mid-November after it was revealed Christopher Plummer would replace Kevin Spacey as J.P. Getty, after accusations of sexual harassment and assault against Spacey began surfacing in late October, beginning with one from actor Anthony Rapp about an incident from 1986.

Scott initially claimed that except for Plummer, all of his cast re-shot the scenes for free and even gave up their Thanksgiving holiday to spend time working on the film, which still managed to be released on its original date of Dec. 25 and which has already scored awards nominations.

Wahlberg announced Saturday that in light of the pay disparity between him and Williams — which drew outrage from several celebrities — that he would donate his entire salary to the Time’s Up initiative designed to combat sexual abuse and gender inequality of all types. Wahlberg also said William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME), the talent agency that represents both him and Williams, would add another $500,000 in contributions to Time’s Up.

“Over the last few days my reshoot fee for ‘All the Money in the World’ has become an important topic of conversation,” Wahlberg said in a statement. “I 100% support the fight for fair pay and I’m donating the $1.5M to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund in Michelle Williams’ name.”

Among the famous stars who began defending 37-year-old Williams — a four-time Oscar nominee who could earn her fifth nod for All the Money in the World — on Twitter and saying she should earn a higher salary were Busy Philipps, Jessica Chastain, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Judd Apatow. 

Williams, Plummer and Scott all received Golden Globes nominations for the film, although they all lost.

Some reports also claimed Wahlberg initially refused to approve Plummer as Spacey’s replacement unless he received substantial compensation.

“What he said was, ‘I will not approve Christopher Plummer unless you pay me.’ And that’s how he f— them,” one person told USA Today. 

Williams responded to Wahlberg’s donation in a statement on Saturday.

“If we truly envision an equal world, it takes equal effort and sacrifice, Williams’ statement read in part. “Today is one of the most indelible days of my life because of Mark Wahlberg, WME and a community of women and men who share in this accomplishment. Anthony Rapp, for all the shoulders you stood on, now we stand on yours.”

“Today isn’t about me,” Williams added.

Time’s Up is administered by the National Women’s Law Center.