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Jennifer Lawrence pens essay on Hollywood sexism: I didn't want to seem 'difficult'

By Marilyn Malara
Cast member Jennifer Lawrence attends the premiere of the sci-fi motion adventure "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I" at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, 2014. Lawrence penned an essay calling out Hollywood sexism reflecting on her wages compared to her co-stars, which were revealed after the Sony hack. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
1 of 3 | Cast member Jennifer Lawrence attends the premiere of the sci-fi motion adventure "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I" at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, 2014. Lawrence penned an essay calling out Hollywood sexism reflecting on her wages compared to her co-stars, which were revealed after the Sony hack. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Jennifer Lawrence didn't blame Hollywood when the Sony hack revealed she made scores less in salary wages than her male co-stars, she said. Instead, she blamed herself.

In an essay penned for Lena Dunham's newsletter, Lenny Letter, the Mockingjay Part 2 actress shed some light on her reaction to finding out about the gap between her pay and that of the likes of Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner.

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"I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early," she wrote in the essay published Tuesday. "I didn't want to keep fighting over millions of dollars that, frankly, due to two franchises, I don't need."

Lawrence, an Oscar-winning actress, cited an inherent need to avoid being called a "brat," as one of the additional reasons why she did not fight for a higher salary for such movies as American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook.

"But if I'm honest with myself, I would be lying if I didn't say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight," Lawrence continued. "I didn't want to seem 'difficult' or 'spoiled.' At the time, that seemed like a fine idea, until I saw the payroll on the Internet and realized every man I was working with definitely did not worry about being 'difficult' or 'spoiled...Are we socially conditioned to behave this way?"

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The 25-year-old actress also wrote her age and personality may play a role in her history of making less than her male counterparts, but questioned the usefulness of trying to be "adorable."

"[Expletive] that," she wrote about trying to be opinionated but likable while at work. "I don't think I've ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It's just heard. Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves. If anything, I'm sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share."

The Joy actress joins the likes of Maggie Gyllenhaal, Anna Kendrick, Emma Thompson, Amber Rose, Amy Schumer and others in explicitly calling out sexism in Hollywood.

In her essay, Lawrence warns her readers her observations "have NOTHING to do with my vagina," but asserts they cannot be all wrong since another surfaced email from the Sony hack showed a producer calling Angelina Jolie a "spoiled brat," in negotiation.

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"For some reason," she concluded. "I just can't picture someone saying that about a man."

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