Jennifer Esposito is setting the record straight after multiple media outlets reported the actress “lost” her home.
“For all who have reached out I thank you,” Esposito, 52, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, February 7. “This shaming, blaming and trying to put a woman who dared to do better than what I was told I could achieve has to stop. But it probably won’t- so- we just keep going.”
Esposito also shared screenshots of a recent story she published on her Substack, taking aim at outlets she claims “picked up a post about me ‘losing my house,’” calling the reporting “absolutely mind blowing to me.”
“Let me backtrack- in my social media post that this ‘story’ was taken from I was talking about whiteness and patriarchy and Hollywood,” she wrote. “This wasn’t just my opinion – it’s actually a recent UCLA report saying 92% of the top scripted stories were written by [a] white creator.”
Priyanka Chopra: ‘Citadel’ Was 1st Time I Had ‘Pay Parity’ With Male Costar
She continued, “As far as patriarchy- another article stated only 8% of the top 250 films were directed by women. What I was saying was that I wish talent and merit could be the reason for attention and well-getting and making more work. But it’s not. I did mention in the post that I had to leave my home because Fresh Kills put me in debt. I NEVER said I lost it. NEVER. Let’s be clear- I did not lose my home, foreclosed or anything even close. I did say that I was crying. I was.”
The Blue Bloods star went on to explain why she was so emotional when leaving her house, writing that she “loved my home” and considered the residence “the one place I ever felt safe.”
“It was special to me for many reasons,” she added. “And if film would have been judged on merit alone, maybe I wouldn’t have had to sell it. Everyone in my film pretty much went on to do amazing things, HUGE things. Everyone except me.”
Esposito wrote and co-produced the 2023 drama Fresh Kills, which also served as her directorial debut. The film starred Esposito as well as Emily Bader, Odessa A’zion, Domenick Lombardozzi, Nicholas Cirillo and Annabella Sciorra.
While the film managed to secure a 7.4/10 rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received positive reviews from the Tribeca Film Festival and high praise from film critics, it did poorly at the box office, grossing only $68,310 after its very limited 2024 release. The film, a female-driven mafia drama, was self-financed.
Dakota Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Others Who Ripped Their Box Office Bombs
“My tears were because I still believe art should matter,” Esposito shared on Saturday. “Good work should matter. Artists helping other artists should be the norm. Talent and good work should be what wins, but again- it doesn’t. The amount of amazing indie films I witnessed in my year at film festivals with Fresh Kills that no one will ever see is heart breaking.”
She continued, “So yeah, leaving a home that I loved wasn’t something I wanted to do. But it was my choice to SELL it (with appreciation) to lessen my burden by paying off debt from the film (caused by an awful producer), but also to give myself space to keep creating.”
