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A series of sad events led Mark Wahlberg to donate $1.5 million in Michelle Williams' name.

Actor Mark Wahlberg is donating the money he received for reshooting All the Money in the World to help victims of sexual assault and he’s doing it in Michelle Williams’ name.

Finally, some good news!

This comes after Wahlberg and the film were the centre of controversy involving pay inequality between male and female co-stars.

This is what went down:

Directors of All The Money in the World were trying to do a good thing. They replaced Kevin Spacey after he was accused of sexual assault by more than 10 men, just weeks before the film’s release in November 2017.

Christopher Plummer stood in instead, and actors and actresses were called back to re-shoot the scenes that had involved Spacey. Problem is, in doing this, it emerged there was a huge discrepancy in pay between genders.

Wahlberg, 46, was paid US$1.5 million for the 10 days he worked on the reshoot, USA Today reported on January 9, and Williams, 37, was paid US$80 per diem, receiving at most US$1000 all up.

She was paid less than one per cent of Wahlberg’s salary, despite the fact they’re both represented by the same agent.

Mark Wahlberg donates money for Michelle Williams
Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams. Image via Getty.
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Reports around the reason for the disparity are mixed. Director Ridley Scott told USA Today none of the actors were paid for the reshoot, only the crew. And Williams had previously told the publication she was happy to do it for free.

"I said I'd be wherever they needed me, whenever they needed me," she said. "And they could have my salary, they could have my holiday, whatever they wanted. Because I appreciated so much that they were making this massive effort."

Wahlberg, it's reported, refused to reshoot for free and demanded the $1.5 million salary.

Then, according to The Wrap, Williams' contract included reshoots and Wahlberg's did not. Thus he was able to negotiate a salary for the 10 additional days. This claim, however, was refuted by one of USA Today's sources.

But now, whatever the reasoning, Wahlberg has announced he will donate the entire $1.5 million to the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, which helps underprivileged women who are the victims of sexual harassment and assault.

"Over the last few days my reshoot fee for 'All the Money in the World' has become an important topic of conversation," Wahlberg said in a statement, The Cut reports. "I 100 per cent support the fight for fair pay and I'm donating the $1.5 million to the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund in Michelle Williams' name."

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As well as this, the agency that represents both Wahlberg and Williams, called William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, announced it is donating $500,000 also in Williams' name - on top of a $1 million donation earlier this month.

LISTEN: This is what all those celbrities are trying to bring attention to. (Post continues below.)

Williams has responded to the gesture, saying it's "not about her".

"Today isn’t about me," the actress said on Saturday night, Los Angeles Times reports. "My fellow actresses stood by me and stood up for me, my activist friends taught me to use my voice, and the most powerful men in charge, they listened and they acted."

"If we truly envision an equal world, it takes equal effort and sacrifice. Today is one of the most indelible days of my life because of Mark Wahlberg, WME and a community of women and men who share in this accomplishment."

She also paid tribute to Anthony Rapp, who was the first man to publicly accuse Kevin Spacey of sexual assault. "Anthony Rapp, for all the shoulders you stood on, now we stand on yours."

In the end, what began as a positive step on behalf of All the Money in the World, to protect against sexual misconduct and punish those who perpetuate it, ended as a good thing for all victims of sexual assault - despite the controversy in between.