NEWSSophia Bush Unveils Shocking Pay Disparities: Behind the Scenes of 'One Tree Hill'
Sophia Bush revealed major pay gaps behind the scenes of 'One Tree Hill.'
July 12 2025, Published 10:25 p.m. ET
In a candid revelation that has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, Sophia Bush, the beloved star of the iconic series One Tree Hill, has shed light on the alarming pay gap between male and female leads during her time on the show.
Speaking during an episode of "The Burnouts" podcast aired on July 3, the actress shared under-reported insights about the financial struggles faced by women in the television industry, reiterating the challenges that have persisted for decades.
Sophia Bush starred as Brooke Davis on 'One Tree Hill.'
The 42-year-old actress recounted her battles when it came to negotiating her salary, claiming, "We weren't really given the opportunity to do that."
While many fans may have seen the stars' public success, behind the scenes, they were being told that their show was on the brink of cancelation — a tactic employed to dissuade them from advocating for higher salaries.
She said: "They would always tell us we were on the verge of getting canceled so that we wouldn't try."
Bush expressed gratitude for her "wonderful legal" team, which intervened before Season 4.
"They just said, 'Listen, we know none of the girls are making what the boys are making. But you cannot pay her a third of what the woman making the least amount of money on the show is making,'" she stated.
This pivotal moment allowed her to negotiate for a salary that brought her "finally" to be "paid equally to the second-lowest paid woman on the cast," though she pointed out that it still amounted to "under 20 percent of what my male costar was making on the show."
Sophia Bush joined 'The Burnouts' to talk about money.
The disparity in pay reflects a broader trend in Hollywood, especially within teen drama series.
Bush elaborated on the financial pressure faced by young women in the industry, asserting, "Part of the reason they like to make teen television is because they don't really have to pay young people very much money."
Despite her status as a series regular, she recalled being told, "This is all we can afford to pay you. Take it or leave it. It's never going to get any better than this."
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Sophia Bush said that she was living from paycheck to paycheck when she was on 'One Tree Hill.'
Bush described her experience as akin to a "baptism by fire in the financial space," where the struggles of living paycheck to paycheck were exacerbated by industry commissions.
"You want to work so you say yes, but when you make money, 10 percent goes to your agent and 10 percent goes to your manager and 5 percent goes to your lawyer," she noted, capturing the reality of many actors trying to balance their careers with the high cost of living in major cities.
Sophia Bush shared that despite her fame, she feared not being able to pay rent.
As One Tree Hill found its footing and gained viewership, Bush faced mounting financial stress.
"I threw cash at friends who had a 6th floor walk-up in the West Village. My two best friends from college moved into it and it was a two-bedroom apartment and I would sleep on the pullout couch on weekends when I'd fly up here," she recalled.
She added, "People are like, 'Oh my God, you're the star of a TV show and there's billboards everywhere.' And you're like, 'I'm terrified about how I'm going to pay my rent.'"
Bevin Prince echoed similar views on the 'Drama Queens' podcast in December 2021.
Bush is not the only cast member from One Tree Hill to address these issues. Bevin Prince, who appeared on the series from Seasons 1 to 4, echoed similar sentiments during her appearance on the "Drama Queens" podcast in December 2021.
"We were making $75 a day for 16-to 18-hour days," she revealed, shedding light on the tough conditions faced by her and her costars as they juggled academic commitments alongside filming.
