Catt Sadler Updates: Ex-E! News Host Reveals Pay Disparity Made Her Leave the Show
Longtime E! News host Catt Sadler recently left the show after reportedly learning of a huge pay gap between her and co-host Jason Kennedy.
Earlier this week, reports confirmed that Sadler had decided to leave the E! network after more than a decade of hosting shows, live reporting from some of the biggest worldwide events, and interviewing the biggest celebrities of the generation.
A few days after the news of Sadler's exit from E! News went public, the host took to her official website to explain the real reason why she decided to leave the network after 12 years.
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In her open letter titled "Why I Left E Entertainment Television," the host narrated that earlier in the year, she had been placed in a new daytime show called the "Daily Pop," which aired for two hours every day, on top of her nightly work in E! News. Sadler then shared that an unnamed E! Executive told her about the pay gap between her and Kennedy. This new information, along with what she called her "double duty," prompted her camp to ask for a raise.
Sadler further explained: "More recently, when E reached out to renew and extend my deal, I learned that he wasn't just making a little more than I was. In fact, he was making close to double my salary for the past several years."
"Information is power. Or it should be. We are living in a new era. The gender pay gap is shrinking, although admittedly we have a long way to go. And well, I learned this first hand. My team and I asked for what I know I deserve and were denied repeatedly," Sadler added.
In the same letter, Sadler was very clear that everything between her and Kennedy was fine. She even referred to him as a "close friend and colleague that I adore."
Sadler recalled that she and Kennedy started working for E! almost at the same time while emphasizing that she knew her worth from having 12 years of experience in the field. She also expressed how much she loved working with Kennedy but added: "But how can I operate with integrity and stay on at E if they're not willing to pay me the same as him? Or at least come close? How can I accept an offer that shows they do not value my contributions and paralleled dedication all these years?"
Sadler admitted that leaving E! News was scary, considering she was a single mother who was raising two children. However, the longtime host sounded positive by the end of her blog post and promised fans that she was going to "create content with meaning."
Lauren Scruggs, Kennedy's wife, has spoken up to defend her husband against the negative comments he had been receiving since the pay disparity issue was made public. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the network also said in a statement to PEOPLE: "E! compensates employees fairly and appropriately based on their roles, regardless of gender."
