Mo’Nique is opening up about her high-profile feuds. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 55-year-old comedian discusses both the origins and current standings of her public feuds with Lee Daniels, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.
Everything started in 2004 when she met Daniels. The following year, she appeared in his directorial debut, Shadowboxer. From there, Mo’Nique says, she and Daniels “never stopped communicating,” all the way up to her starring role in the 2009 film Precious.
The film quickly earned critical praise and was part of the awards season discussion, something that Daniels, along with producers Winfrey and Perry, wanted to capitalize on. Mo’Nique declined to go on a press tour without being compensated for her time, and thus the rift began.
When Mo’Nique refused to get on a flight to attend the Cannes Film Festival in support of the movie, she claims Daniels told her in a phone call, “Mama, I agree with what you’re saying. I just don’t think it’s going to play out good for you. And that was a problem,” she explains. “The problem of ‘How could this fat Black woman say no to the powers that be in Hollywood?’
As for why she didn’t want to fly to France to promote her critically acclaimed film, Mo’Nique tells THR the same thing she told Winfrey at the time.
“I said, ‘Oprah, I’m doing a talk show. I’m doing a comedy tour. I have a husband and I have babies,'” Mo’Nique recalls. “‘I have a little bit of downtime and I’m going to take advantage of it. So I’m not going anywhere because I’m not obligated to go anywhere. I’ve done my part.’ So we mutually agreed to disagree. That was it.”
Per Mo’Nique, “Next thing I know, I am considered ‘difficult’ and ‘hard to work with,'” adding that she feels she was “blackballed” in Hollywood as a result of the situation
Source: People
In other news – I have not been okay – Former Rhythm City actress Mapula Mafole speaks out
Actress Mapula Mafole says she is going through hard times. The star decided to go public with her struggle by tweeting about it.
Mapula says she’s not been okay, but in her struggle, she decided to encourage people going through trying times. Learn more
