Mo’Nique and Steve Harvey Get Into Tense Exchange Over Hollywood Blackball Claims
Mo’Nique sat down for an interview with Steve Harvey Wednesday and things got tense between the two longtime friends.
The actress and comedian appeared on Steve to discuss her claims that she was “blackballed” years ago in Hollywood, as well as her recent boycott of Netflix.
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The Oscar winner has previously said she was blacklisted by powerful people, after she refused to campaign for the award-winning 2009 film Precious, without receiving additional pay.
She has repeatedly criticized the film’s director, Lee Daniels, and producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, alleging that they attempted to silence her after she raised concerns about traveling to the Cannes Film Festival to promote the film, without being paid.
Mo’Nique said Wednesday she and husband Sydney Hicks, who serves as her talent manager, “were suffering” and losing work as a result of her disagreements with Daniels, Winfrey and Perry.
“We got labeled as ‘difficult’ because I said one word — and that was ‘no,'” she stated.
“Now I said no to some very powerful people.. .the difficulty came in when people that looked like me, like Oprah, Tyler, Lee Daniels and I got to put my brother Steve on the list,” she added. “Y’all knew that I was not wrong. Each one of you said to me, ‘Mo’Nique, you’re not wrong.’ And when I heard you go on the air and say, ‘My sister burned too many bridges, and it’s nothing I can do for her now,’ Steve, do you know how hurt I was?”
Harvey responded by telling Mo’Nique she “went about it wrong.”
Fast forward to 2018, and Mo’Nique urged her fans to boycott Netflix for gender and racial bias, alleging that the streaming giant low-balled her by only offering $500,000 for a comedy special, significantly less than the millions Amy Schumer and male comedians such as Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle received.
Harvey then told Mo’Nique he had a problem with her boycott because “she never gave people a point of action,” and wasn’t specific as to whether she wanted her fans to drop their subscriptions or pick up signs.
He went on to say the average person couldn’t relate to her complaints.
“This problem that you had at Netflix are rich people problems, because they’re looking at us saying ‘you’re talking about millions, well, you got this, so you outta be cool.'”
Mo’Nique said she disagreed, because she was talking about “inequality,” and “it’s devastating.”
She then took aim at Harvey saying she would “have appreciated” his support.
“I would have appreciated it, had my brother called me up and said, ‘let’s talk.'”
Harvey shot back that he had a major problem with Mo’Nique going on stage during a stand-up comedy show and saying Daniels, Winfrey and Perry could “suck her d–k.”
“When you made that statement, the narrative got flipped,” Harvey stated. “We can’t cure darkness with more darkness.”
Mo’Nique refused to back down, and Harvey began to lose patience.
He then said he wanted to make it clear that he loves Mo’Nique like a sister and wants her to succeed.
“I hate what’s happening to you. I hate what they’re saying that’s not true. I want them to know that you are caring, that you’re a great mother, that you’re an incredible talent,” he said. “I don’t like the fact that you’ve been blackballed. You can be un-blackballed. You’re too talented to have to worry about all of this.”
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