Hawaii Five-O boss says he offered disgruntled co-stars ‘unprecedented raises’

HAWAII Five-O’s producer has penned an open letter to fans in which he claims he offered Daniel Dae Kim an “unprecedented raise” to keep him on the show.

HAWAII Five-O’s producer has penned an open letter to fans in which he claims he offered Daniel Dae Kim an “unprecedented raise” to keep the star on the show.

It was revealed last week that Kim, who plays Chin Ho Kelly, was leaving the show after seven seasons due to a pay dispute.

According to The New York Post, Kim had been seeking pay equality with his co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan who reportedly get paid 10-15 per cent more than him, but was unable to reach a satisfactory deal.

Kim took to Facebook yesterday to explain his decision and thank fans for their support.

“By now many of you have heard the news, and I’m sad to say it is true,” he wrote.

“I will not be returning to Hawaii Five-0 when production starts next week. Though I made myself available to come back, CBS and I weren’t able to agree to terms on a new contract, so I made the difficult choice not to continue.

The Hawaii Five-O cast.

“I’ll end by saying that though transitions can be difficult, I encourage us all to look beyond the disappointment of this moment to the bigger picture. The path to equality is rarely easy.”

But the Hawaii Five-O boss has hit back in a lengthy post of his own, saying he offered both Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park [another actor who walked away from the show] “unprecedented” pay rises to get them to stay.

“The truth is this: Both actors chose not to extend their contracts,” producer Peter M. Lenkov wrote on Instagram.

“CBS was extremely generous and proactive in their renegotiation talks. So much so, the actors were getting unprecedented raises, but in the end they chose to move on. No one wanted to see them go — they are irreplaceable.”

Some fans have been quick to point out that although the producer said the stars were offered “unprecedented raises,” he didn’t clarify if they’d been offered the same amount that O’Loughlin and Caan currently get.

I hope that someday you will understand the concept of equal pay for equal work. Offering a raise is not the same as equal pay #HawaiiFive0

— David S. (@drshoaf) July 6, 2017

Sad to hear about #HawaiiFive0 pay dispute. Think I'm gonna have to boycott the show cause the inequality needs to be addressed.

— Paul Travell (@PNaitch) July 6, 2017

So... even with "unprecedented raises" they still weren't going to be paid equally? Sad they were being paid so much less than...

— Cody (@candrus68) July 6, 2017

By saying they "chose to move on" despite unprecedented salary increase is an attempt to make them sound ungrateful.

— BRIAN (@mr_briansun) July 6, 2017

.@PLenkov You mean "unprecedented raises" for Asian actors (who would still make less $ than their white counterparts)? @danieldaekim

— Benita Lee (@Benita_Lee) July 6, 2017

'The path to equality is rarely easy'. Proud of these two who chose to walk away instead of being appreciated less than their white co-stars

— Beauty and the Beast (@CWBeautyBeast) July 6, 2017