CBS responds to the 'Hawaii Five-0' controversy after two of its stars leave over equal pay dispute
Last week, "Hawaii Five-0" stars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park left the show after the network refused to pay the Asian actors as much as their white co-stars. Sources told Variety that Kim and Park were seeking salaries equal to those of Scott Caan and Alex O'Loughlin.
CBS's final offer to the actors was reportedly "10-15% lower" than the salaries of Caan and O'Loughlin. After Kim spoke about his departure on Wednesday, CBS released a follow-up statement:
"Daniel and Grace have been important and valued members of 'Hawaii Five-0' for seven seasons. We did not want to lose them and tried very hard to keep them with offers for large and significant salary increases. While we could not reach an agreement, we part ways with tremendous respect for their talents on screen, as well as their roles as ambassadors for the show off screen, and with hopes to work with them again in the near future."
See photos of the "Hawaii Five-0" cast through the years:
The CBS reboot of the Hawaii-based procedural drama premiered in 2010, and Kim and Park starred alongside O'Loughlin and Caan for seven seasons.
Kim and Park aren't the first to fight for equal pay. Last year, "Shameless" star Emmy Rossum sought equal pay to her co-star William H. Macy, and got it.
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