Terrence Howard Debuts Bizarre Hair Transformation & We Have Questions
Terrence Howard just debuted a new hairdo, and the internet has questions.
During an April interview with Daphne Wynn, the Oscar-nominated actor spoke about his ongoing lawsuit against the Creative Arts Agency (CAA), over being under-compensated during his time on Fox, the network which produced his show "Empire." Howard outlined his accusations about a pay discrepancy between himself and the white actors represented by the same agency. Howard claimed he was paid $325,000 an episode on "Empire," while actors from "The Big Bang Theory" were paid more than $2 million per episode, despite yielding lower ratings and ad revenue. And while Howard has kickstarted an important conversation, his hair has spawned very unserious reactions across social media.
Terrence Howard explains why he's suing CAA (Creative Artists Agency), and says he's owed $120 million because of a package deal CAA had with Fox, which resulted in him getting paid $325,000 an episode for "Empire," while the "The Big Bang Theory" cast was paid $2 million to $3… pic.twitter.com/rOiPxiKWSO
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) April 7, 2024
Howard donned a short, feathered wig, accented with deep copper and maroon highlights. And while everyone should be allowed to experiment, Howard's new look is a stark departure from his usual short, natural haircut. Given that Howard gets paid to embody new characters, its possible he was in between filming a new role that required this look. However, the lack of context has only added to the confusion across social media. "Now WHY is Terrence Howard around here looking like Farrah Fawcett," tweeted one fan on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Bruh, what tf is going on with Terrance Howard," tweeted another user. Fans were equally amused on Instagram. "He sitting up there looking like Ike Turner! PLEASE!" one person commented on The Shade Room's post.
Of course, the internet had plenty more jokes.
Why Terrence Howard sued the CAA
Jokes aside,Terrence Howard, who has a net worth of $4 million, raised even more serious accusations regarding the CAA. For example, Howard accused the agency of illegally using his image from 2005's "Hustle and Flow," to advertise "Empire" without compensating him. "They took that, flipped that, and put it on everything," said Howard (via VIBE). "They took the trademark of it, sold it around the world, didn't ask my permission ... That image is worth $100 million at least for how much money that they made from it." Howard also claimed the CAA attempted to intimidate him by sending him a check for $666.
Howard raised similar points in December 2023, when he initially filed suit against the CAA. According to Rolling Stone, Howard claimed the agency coerced him into taking a lower salary to benefit "Empire" producer Lee Daniels and other execs in a package deal, of which he wasn't initially aware. "I can't say for certain this was a racial issue, but I can't imagine another counterpart — a white counterpart — with the same accolades, name recognition and numbers that I had, receiving the lowball pay that I was receiving," the former Marvel star shared with the publication.
Whether Howard can take on this company and win remains to be seen. However, he would probably have better luck with social media if he ditched the hair.