Mo’Nique’s Netflix special will premiere less than a year after her discrimination lawsuit against the streaming giant was settled out of court.
In a new interview with the hollywood reporter Posted Wednesday, Mo’Nique opened up about her many feuds in Hollywood, most notably the years-long feud she’s had with Oprah Winfrey.
He also spoke about his return to Netflix after his contentious legal battle with the company was settled out of court last June.
On February 22, Netflix released a trailer for “My Name Is Mo’Nique,” which will debut on April 4.
“When you turn off your television from this one, you’ll say, ‘Now we understand that woman,’” Mo’Nique said in the trailer. “For 32 years, I have been fun and I am grateful for that gift. But this show right here really lets you understand why I sway the way I do.”
In 2017, Netflix offered Mo’Nique $500,000 to star in her own comedy special, but the Oscar-winning actor claimed the streamer was cheating her and the offer was discriminatory. He noted that comedians Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Amy Schumer had been offered eight-figure deals, and claimed that Netflix has consistently paid black women less.
Netflix rescinded their offer, and in 2019, Mo’Nique sued Netflix for failing to negotiate in good faith.
The federal judge overseeing the case sided with Mo’Nique, and in June 2022, the lawsuit was settled out of court. “My Name Is Mo’Nique” was filmed that same year in Atlanta.
“We sat down with our lawyers, they had their lawyers, you go to mediation and we were able to come up with something that everyone was fine with,” Mo’Nique told the Hollywood Reporter of her deal with Netflix. “I think when adults get together in the room and sit down and have a reasonable, logical conversation, things get resolved.”
“Mo’Nique is an incredible talent who has proven herself on television and film, earning well-deserved acclaim for projects spanning genres from comedy to drama,” said Tracey Pakosta, Netflix’s vice president of original comedy series. , in the same article. “He has built a loyal audience over the years, and we think his fans will love these new Netflix projects.”
If her comedy special is anything like her reunion with THR, viewers can expect to hear a thing or two about Mo’Nique’s years-long feud with Winfrey.
The “Precious” star has long been vocal about her strained relationship with the former daytime TV host. Mo’Nique alleged that Winfrey turned her down after she refused to participate in the Oscar campaign for “Precious.”
Winfrey was an executive producer on the film, and was unhappy with Mo’Nique’s decision to withdraw from her press duties. Not that it mattered: Mo’Nique won a supporting actress Oscar for her performance in “Precious” in 2010.
Things took a turn for the worse later that year when Winfrey had Mo’Nique’s siblings, father and mother, from whom she had separated, on her daytime talk show to discuss the sexual abuse Mo’Nique suffered as a child. at the hands of his older brother. , Gerard Imes.
Although Mo’Nique told the Hollywood Reporter that she’s in “a sorry chapter,” she said she’s still waiting for an apology from Winfrey.
