“The Morning Show” star Karen Pittman wants to shift what people assume food insecurity looks like.
During an actress roundtable at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit on Tuesday, Pittman opened up about her experience struggling to feed her family just 10 years ago. She said she relied on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as a working mother of two while auditioning in New York City.
“I remember weeks would go by and I wouldn’t eat,” she shared. “I would sip coffee for most of the day and have a little bit of food off my children’s plates when they were done. And it filled me with such shame and anxiety and worry. I mean I had no peace at night knowing that I did not know how I was going to take care of my children.”
Pittman, who also appears in “Forever” on Netflix and “And Just Like That…” on HBO, told the audience at The Maybourne Beverly Hills that she began sharing her story in an effort to help others, especially women who were “particularly vulnerable to taking on a lot.” That didn’t come without some friction, however.
“Me being vulnerable is likely going to put a target on me somewhere and I did get some direct messages like ‘another welfare mom’ and I was like ‘f**k you,’ Not anymore. I never was,” she said as she flipped her middle finger — presumably to both the troll and the dangerous “welfare queen” myth.
Pittman, who graduated from Northwestern University and New York University, said that she wants to destigmatize leaning on government assistance and community aid.
“If I could help one person by saying go to a food pantry… You don’t have to sit at home. There are people out here that will help you,” she said.
The conversation centered on actresses who use their platforms to create change. Moderated by reporter Andi Ortiz, Natasha Rothwell, Uzo Abuba and Olivia Munn were also featured speakers. For Thanksgiving, Pittman worked with Feeding America and the United Station Homeless Services to provide food to her community.
Pittman first opened up about her story as the federal shutdown paused SNAP benefits for more than 41 million people on Nov. 1. The program has since resumed, however, the Trump administration has threatened to cut benefits in more than 20 Democratic-led states.
On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said the department will withhold funding for states that do not provide sensitive personal data about SNAP recipients, including immigration status. Rollins said this is in effort to “root out” alleged food stamp fraud.
Though the USDA has not presented data that backs up their fraud claims, Rollins assures that more changes are coming to SNAP.
