Three of Hollywood’s most prominent women’s advocacy groups condemned
Disney’s response to Scarlett Johansson’s “Black Widow” lawsuit in a
joint statement published over the weekend.

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Time’s Up, Women In Film, and ReFrame all signed the statement, which
described Disney’s response to Johansson’s lawsuit as a “gendered
character attack”, reports BusinessInsider.

“While we take no position on the business issues in
the litigation between Scarlett Johansson and The Walt Disney Company. We stand
firmly against Disney’s recent statement which attempts to characterize
Johansson as insensitive or selfish for defending her contractual business
rights,” reads the statement.

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The statement continued: “This gendered character
attack has no place in a business dispute and contributes to an environment in
which women and girls are perceived as less able than men to protect their own
interests without facing ad hominem criticism.”

Since Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney for
allegedly violating an agreement to exclusively release “Black Widow”
in theaters, a vicious legal feud has erupted between the actor and the Marvel
Studios’ parent company.

The actress claims that the simultaneous release of the film
on the Disney+ streaming service – an unforeseen decision made to allow viewers
to watch safely at home during the pandemic – 
was not part of the original negotiations and therefore allowed the
studio to cut her out of her fair share.

Disney responded last week by releasing a statement that
called Johansson’s complaint “sad and distressing in its callous disregard
for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The statement also made public that Johansson received $20
million for her work on the movie, and claimed to have fully complied with its
contracts and agreements with Johansson.

The statement of the group also highlights a long history of
women in the entertainment industry being painted as difficult or not
“team players” for making basic demands, or for simply asking to be
paid.

According to Salon.com, since Johansson took legal action
against Disney last week, Emma Stone, star of the recent Disney film
“Cruella,” is also reportedly “weighing her options,” as
her movie also released on the corporation’s streaming service alongside
theatrical release.

“Black Widow” that was released recently ranks
among one of the lowest grossing Marvel films of all time, and theater owners
have blamed the movie’s streaming on Disney+ for this outcome.