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This week, Oscar-award-winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique finally cleared the air about her highly publicized rift with Tyler Perry and Oprah.
While speaking on the Turnt Out with TS Madison show, the 54-year-old star claimed that the famous director recently apologized for the way he treated her after she refused to participate in the campaign trail for Precious. Mo’Nique said that although she was happy that the film took off following its release, she didn’t want to make Hollywood her “priority.” The Queens Of Comedy alum wasn’t contractually obligated to join the press run for the film either, but Perry and Oprah asked her to participate on more than one occasion. Mo’ Nique said she took issue with the Hollywood stars because they wanted her to do all the work for “free.”
“That’s not fair for you to want me to work for free just because it’s you,” she explained. “So, now here comes the blackball. Now here comes she’s difficult to work with…,” the actress continued, noting how Perry would allegedly talk down about her to other directors such as David E. Talbert.
“Now, nobody’s going to touch Mo’Nique,” she continued. “Oprah Winfrey said nothing, though there was a conversation that she had with my husband and she agreed with the position that was taken.”
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Now, it appears as though Perry is trying to make amends. The 52-year-old producer allegedly called her to express his regret and claimed that he had every intention to apologize publically, but his words weren’t too sincere, according to Mo’Nique. The Primetime Emmy nominated actress said she recorded their exchange and played it for multiple people including TS Madison, who confirmed she too had listened to the phone call.
“So, as I sit here with you, and you say, ‘Wait a minute. I heard that man say he was wrong and was going to apologize.’ Well, that’s turned into, ‘I’ll meet with you—not with your husband—and now you have to apologize to me.’ How does that happen? I’ll tell you how,” Mo’Nique said to the Fox Soul TV host, right before she turned her eyes directly to the camera and began to break down Hollywood’s track record of targeting Black women who have been ostracized by the industry for standing up for themselves.
“Oftentimes when it comes to a Black woman speaking up and speaking out, it goes unheard until she dies. Then once she dies, then we go back and say, ‘Well, she was right,’ and ‘let’s make a movie about it.’” she continued. “See, I can give you their names: Eartha Kitt. I can give you their names: Hazel Scott. I can give you their names: Fannie Lou Hamer. I can give you their names: Hattie McDaniel. All of those women took a stand, and all of those women left here heartbroken, unhealthy, looking at a community saying, ‘Y’all know I’m right, but why won’t anybody say anything?’”
In 2009, Mo’Nique won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Precious, something she did not expect as she had initially agreed to be part of the Lee Daniels directed film for only $50,000 because, at the time, it was being produced as an independent movie. However, once Perry and Oprah signed on as executive producers, Precious skyrocketed into fame.
Overall, Mo’Nique said she doesn’t harbor any hate for Perry or Oprah, but for her, it’s important to set the record straight about where they really stand.
“Let me be clear: I love those people. We love those people, my husband and I love [them]. They’re our brothers and sisters,” she said. “And, as my husband always says, ‘Momma, we ain’t calling nobody out, we’re simply calling them up to say, listen let’s make our community better by making it right, not running and hiding by what you consider is your power.”
….and ATLien obtained an alleged copy of the phone call between Perry and Mo’Nique that you can take a listen to here as well.
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