Mo’Nique, her husband Sidney Hicks and the cast of Blackbird have spoken out against LGBT discrimination by posing for the NOH8 Campaign. Isaiah Washington, who was famously fired from Grey’s Anatomy for repeating a gay slur allegedly used on set, is among the cast members who posed for the campaign.
In juicier news, Mo’Nique recently sat down with Hello Beautiful to once again discuss Lee Daniels, being offered the role of Cookie on Empire and her Precious co-star Gabourey Sidibe. Most noteworthy was Mo’Nique’s declaration that she’d love to have a televised sit-down with Lee.
Check out a few tidbits from their interview below.
HelloBeautiful: During
a recent interview, you revealed you and Lee Daniels haven’t picked up
the phone to call one other. What would it take for one of you to pick
up the phone?
Mo’Nique: I no longer have Lee’s phone number but
would love to have a conversation with my brother, but we would have to
do it publicly because the ones we’ve had privately –when you then speak
about them — you don’t tell what the real conversation was. When a
person is saying, I want to do it publicly, does it sound like a person
who has something to hide? I don’t bind to the A-list, I don’t bind to
the elite. I’m just a regular folk from Baltimore Maryland, who’s living
out her dreams. I’m a wife and a mommy and having the time of her life.
That can be for the other elite folk, I’m not that.
a recent interview, you revealed you and Lee Daniels haven’t picked up
the phone to call one other. What would it take for one of you to pick
up the phone?
Mo’Nique: I no longer have Lee’s phone number but
would love to have a conversation with my brother, but we would have to
do it publicly because the ones we’ve had privately –when you then speak
about them — you don’t tell what the real conversation was. When a
person is saying, I want to do it publicly, does it sound like a person
who has something to hide? I don’t bind to the A-list, I don’t bind to
the elite. I’m just a regular folk from Baltimore Maryland, who’s living
out her dreams. I’m a wife and a mommy and having the time of her life.
That can be for the other elite folk, I’m not that.
HB: What
was your reaction to Gabourey Sidibe’s tweet about “Precious?” Did you
think she was calling you the “liar” and “selfish” one?
Mo’Nique: I’m not going to assume anything that
sister was thinking. That’s why I simply responded back to her the way
that I did. For Gabourey Sidibe, I have nothing but the utmost respect
and love for that baby because nobody got the chance to sit next to that
magical sister in those scenes but me, so there’s nothing anyone can
say to me that could change my mind about that sweet woman.
was your reaction to Gabourey Sidibe’s tweet about “Precious?” Did you
think she was calling you the “liar” and “selfish” one?
Mo’Nique: I’m not going to assume anything that
sister was thinking. That’s why I simply responded back to her the way
that I did. For Gabourey Sidibe, I have nothing but the utmost respect
and love for that baby because nobody got the chance to sit next to that
magical sister in those scenes but me, so there’s nothing anyone can
say to me that could change my mind about that sweet woman.
HB: You
mentioned in an interview, you suggested Gabourey be flown to Paris in
first class, was that one of your “difficult” demands?
Mo’Nique: From the amazing journalists and
reporters that have talked to [Lee Daniels] no one has yet to say ‘What
were her demands?’ and what made her ‘difficult?’ No one asked him that
question. Me and Lee Daniels — I know him. We’ve had conversations in
the middle of the night. I know him. So when he says I’m difficult and
demanding, when he makes that statement, me and that man ain’t never had
a drop of an issue, not on “Shadowboxer,” not on “Precious.” And, if I
were those people, why ever would you call me for “Empire?” Why ever
would you offer me the grandmother in Richard Pryor? Why? Cause Lee
knows he and I never had any issues. I simply repeated what he said to
me.
mentioned in an interview, you suggested Gabourey be flown to Paris in
first class, was that one of your “difficult” demands?
Mo’Nique: From the amazing journalists and
reporters that have talked to [Lee Daniels] no one has yet to say ‘What
were her demands?’ and what made her ‘difficult?’ No one asked him that
question. Me and Lee Daniels — I know him. We’ve had conversations in
the middle of the night. I know him. So when he says I’m difficult and
demanding, when he makes that statement, me and that man ain’t never had
a drop of an issue, not on “Shadowboxer,” not on “Precious.” And, if I
were those people, why ever would you call me for “Empire?” Why ever
would you offer me the grandmother in Richard Pryor? Why? Cause Lee
knows he and I never had any issues. I simply repeated what he said to
me.
HB: “Empire” co-creator Danny Strong said you were never offered the role of Cookie on “Empire.” What was your response to that?
Mo’Nique: I tweeted him back. I understand why you would say that,
however when you find out the truth, will you speak as loudly? I’ve
never had any communication with Mr. Strong. I’ve never met Mr. Strong.
Lee’s never mentioned Mr. Strong so I have no idea who Mr. Strong is. So
if Lee is telling Mr. Strong, ‘No, I didn’t offer Mo’Nique those
things…No I didn’t talk to Mo’Nique about that,’ then that’s Lee’s
friend and his business partner so all he’s doing is standing up for his
friend. Me and my husband Sidney, we respect people like that. However,
when you find out the truth will you speak as loudly? Then it will make
you question your friendship to say, ‘Why would you let me go out into
the world and say something that you knew wasn’t true?’
Mo’Nique: I tweeted him back. I understand why you would say that,
however when you find out the truth, will you speak as loudly? I’ve
never had any communication with Mr. Strong. I’ve never met Mr. Strong.
Lee’s never mentioned Mr. Strong so I have no idea who Mr. Strong is. So
if Lee is telling Mr. Strong, ‘No, I didn’t offer Mo’Nique those
things…No I didn’t talk to Mo’Nique about that,’ then that’s Lee’s
friend and his business partner so all he’s doing is standing up for his
friend. Me and my husband Sidney, we respect people like that. However,
when you find out the truth will you speak as loudly? Then it will make
you question your friendship to say, ‘Why would you let me go out into
the world and say something that you knew wasn’t true?’
For more, head on over to Hello Beautiful.
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