Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesPatricia Arquette's girl power Oscars acceptance speech was applauded by many—including Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez—but it's what she said backstage that's landed her in hot water.
Shortly after winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, the 46-year-old told reporters, "It's time for us. It's time for women. Equal means equal. It's inexcusable that we go around the world and talk about equal rights for women in other countries when we don't have equal rights for women in America.
"When they wrote the Constitution, they didn't intend it for women."
Arquette continued, "The truth is: even though we sort of feel like we have equal rights in America, right under the surface, there are huge issues that are applied that really do affect women and it's time for all the women in America and all the men that love women, and all the gay people, and all the people of color that we've all fought for to fight for us now."
And that didn't sit well with some viewers. Critics quickly took to social media to slam the Boyhood actress' latest public rant, and of course, it didn't take long for her to notice.
Arquette defended her words from last night on Twitter earlier this morning and asked, "The question is why aren't you an advocate for equality for ALL women?"
Read her full tweet spree below:
Wage equality will help ALL women of all races in America. It will also help their children and society.
? Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) February 23, 2015Women have been basically paying a gender tax for generations.
? Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) February 23, 2015I have long been an advocate for the rights of the #LBGT community. The question is why aren't you an advocate for equality for ALL women?
? Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) February 23, 2015If you are fighting against #Equalpay you are fighting for ALL women and especially women of color to make less money than men.
? Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) February 23, 2015Guess which women are the most negatively effected in wage inequality? Women of color. #Equalpay for ALL women. Women stand together in this
? Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) February 23, 2015