Things are continuing to look up for Mo’Nique as the comedian just released her new comedy special with Netflix called “My Name Is Mo’Nique.”
This special comes about four years after Mo’Nique sued the powerhouse streaming service for discrimination after the company proposed what she considered to be a low-ball offer. Mo’Nique opened up about how she was able to trust doing business again with Netflix after the media company seemingly didn’t initially see her worth.
She told Essence, “Umm..it’s called a lawsuit. I think that sometimes, you have to say, ‘No, I want to do good business. I don’t want to do business where I’m being exploited. I don’t want to do business where I’m being taken advantage of.’
The comedian said, “I want to do good, fair business so that we can establish a relationship so that we can stay in a relationship. We just want to be in business with good folks.”
The mother of two said she’s ignored the chatter about her name and reputation since filing her suit against the streaming company. She feels she made the best decision for her family.
“But I had to make sure my chocolate cake recipe was on point. I had to make sure that when I went to the baseball games, they knew I was there. I had to make sure that when my grandbaby girl was going to first grade, I was present. I was present for my life,” she continued. “So that’s how we were able to get through, even at times when our backs were up against the wall, baby.”
In 2017, Netflix had several specials in the works, including Mo’Nique’s, in which the company offered her $500,000. The star from “The Parkers” found the offer to be “discriminatory” after learning that her comedic peers like Dave Chapelle and Chris Rock were offered $20 million per special and Amy Schumer was offered $11 million.
When Netflix refused to negotiate the offer, the Oscar-winning actress took her concerns to court and filed a gender and racial discrimination lawsuit against the brand. Netflix attempted to fight it, but in June 2022, the parties settled.
It’s not clear what the details of the settlement were, but Mo’Nique told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that, “We did this thing called mediation and were able to come to a place where everybody walked away satisfied.”
In the same month of the settlement, Mo’Nique and Netflix announced her upcoming comedy special.
“Can y’all believe this sh-t? Can y’all believe this sh-t? I done came on home to Netflix,” she said in the clip. Additionally, she revealed that Lee Daniels would be directing the special.
In the roughly 70-minute special, Mo’Nique offers an unfiltered and raw account of personal stories about her life, family, and her husband. She failed to directly address her personal struggles in Hollywood since winning Best Supporting Actress for her starring role in Daniel’s 2009 film, “Precious.”
Towards the end, the 55-year-old makes a shocking revelation about her marriage to Sidney Hicks, whom she affectionately refers to as “Daddy.”
“My Name Is Mo’Nique” is now streaming and has been trending at #5 on Netflix’s Top 10 TV Shows Today since its release on April 4.
