Actress Julie Delpy Says Women Have It Worse Than Minorities in Hollywood

— -- When speaking about the lack of diversity in nominees at the Academy Awards -- a topic that has been the subject of a firestorm over the past two years -- actress Julie Delpy said that compared to minority actors, women have it the "hardest."

"Two years ago, I said something about the Academy being very white male, which is the reality, and I was slashed to pieces by the media. It's funny — women can't talk," the Oscar nominee told The Wrap. "I sometimes wish I were African American because people don't bash them afterward."

"It's the hardest to be a woman," Delpy continued. "Feminists [are] something people hate above all. Nothing worse than being a woman in this business. I really believe that."

Delpy's comments come after many stars have spoken out about the lack of diversity in Oscar nominees, slamming the Academy itself for being too homogeneous. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith said they would not attend this year's show, as did director Spike Lee.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences responded to the controversy Friday, announcing an overhaul of its membership policy. The organization's board voted unanimously Thursday night to take steps to make its membership, governing policies and voting members "significantly" more diverse, with the goal to double the number of women and diverse members by 2020.

"The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up," Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a statement.