Mo’Nique is hitting back after Sherri Shepherd dished out a seemingly backhanded compliment about the comic.
The “Queens of Comedy” headliner became a talking point on Shepherd and Kym Whitley’s podcast, “Two Funny Mamas.” The daytime talk show host was giving Mo’Nique props for her latest role in the Lee Daniels-directed film “The Reader.” Shepherd started by acknowledging that she hated the years that Mo’Nique — at least by her account — was blackballed in the industry after her fallout with Daniels, Oprah Winfrey, and Tyler Perry surrounding promotional obligations for 2009’s “Precious.”
“People underestimate comics; she’s really, really good. She’s a great actress,” started the former “The View” co-host. But then, she noted that “Personality-wise, she’s always getting in trouble, always. If it’s not with another comic, D.L. Hughley, somebody.”
Last year, Hughley and Mo’Nique had a huge tit-for-tat in front of the public after she claimed that he had her removed as a headliner at their joint comedy show at Detroit’s Fox Theatre.
Mo’Nique caught wind of the brief podcast segment and addressed it in an Instagram post on Feb. 14. She started by expressing gratitude to Shepherd and Whitley for complimenting her acting skills, but quickly turned her attention to comments about her personality and interactions with her peers.
“You then attempted to show a connection between my personality and me being blackballed, along with the fallout I had with Brother DL Hughley. In addition, you two within the same breath mentioned how we as comics are ‘underestimated,'” wrote the “The Parkers” star.
She continued to set the two women straight by explaining that “First thing, kids with their parents, criminals with the law, and slaves with their masters, get into trouble, and last time I checked, I don’t fit into any of these categories to get in trouble with anyone mentioned, do you two?”
She further noted that, “My personality is of such where I have to speak up and out against injustices, so we can stop being as you both said, ‘underrated.’ And if you notice I haven’t ever started a conversation about you two that involved any negativity in any way in all of the years I’ve known you two.”
Floods of Mo’Nique’s fans sided with her, agreeing that her comedy peers had no reason to criticize her personality.
“Please don’t play with Nikki Parker!!! Put some Respect on this Queen’s name!”
“A simple she did a excellent job on the movie was all she needed to say.. Sherri gets a side eye for this.”
“It’s them trying to keep you in this ‘shes problematic’ box for me. You did amazing in ‘The Reading’ She had no real reason to speak on your personality.”
“She ain’t have to say that! If you acknowledge her acting skills in the movie.., do that. Don’t give a backhanded, shady comment to add that narrative of her.”
In the end, Mo’Nique shared that she was willing to speak with both women, but her husband, Sydney Hicks, would also be on hand. “Anytime the team of you two sisters would like to speak with the team of my husband and I, we welcome it. Thank you two again for the compliments, though backhanded, and please know regardless, I still love you both to life, ‘sisters’!”
