In a recent interview, Mo’Nique is spilling about an alleged recording she has of Tyler Perry apologizing for blackballing her.
The backstory behind the recording is: over a decade ago the Madea star, who provided promotional assistance on Precious, asked Mo’Nique to promote the film at festivals. The actress declined, saying that it wasn’t a part of her contract and did not want to work for free. Once she refused to promote the film, Tyler allegedly went around saying she was hard to work with and blackballed the actress from getting any more roles.
“I don’t care who it is, it’s not fair for you to want me to work for free just because it’s you… so now, here comes the blackball.” Mo’Nique goes on to explain “here comes ‘she’s difficult to work with’ her and her husband ‘they are difficult people’ so now no one is going to touch Mo’Nique.”
The Academy Award-winning actress said that Oprah Winfrey, who also provided promotional assistance to the film, kept quiet after having a conversation with her and her husband but eventually sided with Perry.
“Oprah Winfrey said nothing,” Mo’Nique said.
Mo’Nique gave an example that Perry was trying to blackball the actress by talking to directors and producers on how “difficult she was to work with.” Almost Christmas director David Talbert had a conversation with Perry who allegedly spoke poorly on the actress but instead defended Mo’Nique and said that she was an “absolute joy” to work with, debunking Perry’s claims. The actress pointed out that Perry never directed her and clarified that Perry did not join the Precious film until after it wrapped.
Mo’Nique claims that in the recording Perry apologizes saying “What I did to you was wrong.” The host of the show also backed up Mo’Nique’s claims saying that she heard the recording of Perry before the interview.
Mo’Nique also revealed that friends Al Sharpton and Kevin Hart listened to the tape and tried calling Tyler Perry to clear up the air. He allegedly told both of them “I don’t want to revisit that” essentially preventing any closure between him and the actress.
Sharpton called the director a second time and that’s when Perry allegedly said that he would apologize publicly without her husband in the room and once the actress apologizes for dragging his and Oprah’s names through the mud.
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