Liz Hernandez filled in for Catt Sadler on Daily Pop on Wednesday, December 20, one day after Sadler announced she was leaving E! News over a pay disparity with her cohost Jason Kennedy.
Hernandez, who has been a news correspondent on Access Hollywood since 2014, shared a photo of herself sitting at the Daily Pop desk ahead of her appearance. “Hanging out on #DailyPop at 9 AM. We’ve got a lot to cover, see you soon,” she captioned the image on Twitter.
Hanging out on #DailyPop at 9 AM. We’ve got a lot to cover, see you soon. pic.twitter.com/utbjF19q6u
— Liz Hernandez (@LizHernandez) December 20, 2017
Us Weekly exclusively revealed on Tuesday, December 19, that Sadler, 43, left E! News after learning that she made less money than her male colleague Kennedy, 36. “She doesn’t blame Jason, and Jason feels horrible about the discrepancy in salary. He loves Catt so much and was just as upset as she was to find out that she was being paid so much less. He thinks she will do amazing at whatever she does next and that E! made a big mistake.”
The Indiana native confirmed the news in a blog post later on Tuesday, in which she claimed that Kennedy “was making close to double my salary for the past several years.” In a statement to Us, E! said the network “compensates employees fairly and appropriately based on their roles, regardless of gender.”
Since the news broke, several celebrities have rallied around Sadler with messages of support. “WOW this is so disappointing. When are companies like @e_entertainment going to understand that women should be paid fairly. 1/2 of her male counterpart is not appropriate,” actress Jessica Chastain tweeted. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lawrence wrote on Facebook, “Thank you Catt for sharing your story.”
