One Tree Hill Star Sophia Bush Exposes Massive Gender Wage Gap on Set

In a revealing interview on the Networth and Chill With Your Rich BFF podcast recorded on November 13, 2025, actress Sophia Bush, known for her iconic role as Brooke Davis on the hit TV series One Tree Hill, opened up about the shocking pay disparity she faced during her time on the show.

Bush disclosed that after deducting various fees and expenses, she was only taking home around $3,000 per episode, a shockingly low amount for a main character on a popular television series. To put this in perspective, her co-star Blake Lively was reportedly making $60,000 per episode for her role on Gossip Girl, while the cast of Friends were earning $1 million each by the end of their run.

The gender wage gap was a significant issue on the set of One Tree Hill, with Bush revealing that she was making "under 20 percent of what my male costar was making on the show." Even more disturbingly, the producers actively discouraged the cast from renegotiating their contracts, telling them the show was "on the verge of getting cancelled" to prevent them from asking for raises.

It wasn't until the fourth season that Bush's team was able to renegotiate her contract, and even then, she was still only the "second-lowest paid woman in the cast." The actress lamented that it took her 20 years in the industry, with 15 straight years of network TV, before she finally got paid equally to her male co-star.

Bush's candid revelations shed light on the persistent gender pay gap in the entertainment industry, even for successful and beloved actors like herself. Her story serves as a powerful reminder that the glamorous world of television often hides harsh realities for many performers.