Ellen Pompeo opens up about pay disparity on 'Grey's Anatomy': 'I was salty'

Ellen Pompeo is getting candid about her early frustrations over salary disparities on Grey’s Anatomy.

During an appearance on Call Her Daddy, the 55-year-old actress reflected on learning that her former co-star Patrick Dempsey, 59, was paid more than her at the start of the hit medical drama.

“To be completely fair, the television game was so different then,” Pompeo admitted. “He had done 13 pilots before me… Nothing personal to him, just in general, only a man can have 13 failed TV pilots and their quote keeps going up, right?”

Pompeo acknowledged that Dempsey was a bigger star at the time, saying, “Everybody knew who he was, so he did deserve that money.” But despite understanding the industry’s logic, she still felt undervalued.

“I wasn't salty about him getting what he got. I was salty that they didn't value me as much as they valued him — and they never will,” she explained.

Eventually, Pompeo negotiated a groundbreaking $20 million salary for her role in 2018, but not before consulting Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes.

“I asked Shonda first… I said, ‘I’m going to go in and ask for this much, are you cool with that?’ Just because I don’t want to be disrespectful to her,” she shared.

Pompeo knew her worth and pushed for what she deserved. “I am the Disney princess of that franchise,” she said, emphasizing how much revenue the show generated. “I definitely deserve a percentage of that.”

Encouraging other women to fight for their worth, she added, “I advocate for women always fighting for themselves because most likely they are getting undervalued compared to what they’re offering men.”

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