Over 13 years after working together for the first time on the 2009 drama Precious, Lee Daniels and Mo’Nique have reconnected for the upcoming Netflix film Demon House.
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Mo’Nique and Daniels have been embroiled in a protracted argument ever since she accused him of blackballing her in 2015. The pair came together at the Mo’Nique and Friends: April Fools Day with The Queen of Comedy event at the St. George Theatre on Staten Island on April 1, 2022, however, after deciding to leave their difficult pasts behind them.
“I truly regret any harm I might have done to you. And she was — you guys, my greatest buddy — my best friend. You think Precious was just… God was at work there, using both of us. And we’re absolutely going to repeat it!
On stage, the pair also gave a brief dance performance before they embraced and said “I love you.” Even so, they shared images of their meeting on their personal social media pages.
Due to scheduling conflicts with her Apple TV+ program Truth Be Told, Octavia Spencer withdrew from the upcoming Netflix movie. Mo’Nique will now take her position. Along with Andra Day, Glenn Close, Rob Morgan, Caleb McLaughlin, and Aunjanue Ellis, the actor from Almost Christmas will feature in the movie.
A review of the dispute between Mo’Nique and Lee Daniels.
In 2005, Mo’Nique and Lee Daniels first worked together on the suspenseful murder mystery Shadowboxer. After working together on the universally acclaimed 2009 picture Precious, the couple gained notoriety.
The movie was also nominated for a previous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Mo’Nique, on the other hand, and Daniels got into a fight after the latter claimed that the former had blackballed her from Hollywood along with Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey after she declined to promote Precious during award season without additional compensation and chose to spend time with her family.
At the time, Daniels, Perry, and Oprah all denied the accusations, and the former is said to have stopped talking to Mo’Nique.
When the actress admitted to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 that she had not received the guaranteed pay raise following her Oscar victory, the situation worsened. Mo’Nique reaffirmed during the conversation her earlier assertion that Lee Daniels had told her she had been excluded from Hollywood. She disclosed,
“Lee Daniels called me a few months back, maybe six or seven. He continued, “Mo’Nique, you’ve been blacklisted.” Have I been passed over? “Why have you blacklisted me?” You didn’t participate in the game, he explained. I inquired, “Well, what game is that?” He also didn’t reply.
In response, Daniels informed the publication that the actress’s request had never been consistent with the Precious marketing plan.
The following month, Mo’Nique told Good Morning America that Daniels reportedly “had a problem” with her decision to omit his name from her acceptance speech at the 2009 Academy Awards. For his part, Daniels told TMZ that he never singled out Mo’Nique. He stated:
She [as an actress] gave me her soul, but I gave her mine, so I respect her. Mo’Nique also won an Oscar Award and a Golden Globe for it. She thinks we have blacklisted her, and it hurts my heart to think that. Nobody put her on a roster. Mo’Nique turned her down. And it’s disrespectful of her to keep bringing up Oprah, myself, and Tyler.
The director added that he “worked diligently” to get Mo’Nique the role in Precious and that the actress’ allegations against him were untrue during an interview with Raq Rants. He stated:
I put in a lot of effort to secure her that position. It’s rude and improper of her to make fun of Tyler, Oprah, and me. She is mistaken. She has no cash on hand. It’s not even worth talking about. She must cease speaking.
In reaction, Mo’Nique scolded Daniels on Instagram once more and told him to “stop talking.” After years of animosity, the two finally decided to end their feud and resume their business partnership last week.
Was Mo’Nique’s future in Hollywood “canceled”?
After receiving the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2009, Mo’Nique was on track to become one of Hollywood’s most well-known figures. Sadly, the actress became embroiled in a widely reported argument with Precious director Lee Daniels and started to withdraw from the spotlight.
The actress told CBS that she was only paid $50,000 for the movie and avoided promotional appearances because the company wouldn’t pay her after she was reprimanded for refusing to promote her film.
She continued by saying that she had lost her limelight as a result of her decision to “respectfully reject” going to the Cannes Film Festival. Additionally, when receiving her Oscar in 2009, Mo’Nique threw shade. She stated:
“I want to thank the Academy for showing that one can concentrate on achievement rather than politics.”
Before winning her Oscar, the actress disclosed to The Hollywood Reporter that she had been cast in Lee Daniels’ Empire and The Butler. When Mo’Nique insulted Lee Daniels, Tyler Perry, and Oprah Winfrey during one of her stand-up routines, many people took offense.
She also encountered issues when she attempted to boycott Netflix on the grounds of “gender bigotry and racial bias.” The streaming giant allegedly made her an hour-long comedy special deal for $500K, which was significantly less than Amy Schumer’s $13 million salary.
After the initial boycott failed to garner support, Mo’Nique filed a discrimination lawsuit against Netflix in November 2019. She claimed the streaming service had treated her unfairly based on her “gender and race/color.” In January 2020, Netflix labeled the lawsuit as “nonsensical.”
Over the years, Mo’Nique has largely faded from public view. Her most recent notable screen performance was in the 2016 film Almost Christmas, while her most recent television appearance was in the 2015 drama Bessie. The performer is now prepared to make a comeback in Lee Daniels’ horror film Demon House on Netflix.
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