Mo'Nique Reminds Us She's Been 'Striking For Years' While Showing Support To WGA And SAG-AFTRA
Comedian Mo'Nique is voicing her opinions regarding the ongoing Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild union strikes, despite being allegedly blacklisted in the entertainment industry for years after advocating for equal wages.
The strikes started in early May after the WGA, which contained about 11,500 writers, decided to protest when their requests for higher wages and more residuals were unmet. A few months later, in July, the Screen Actors Guild union, also known as SAG-AFTRA, joined the movement when negotiations for more residual pay from streaming fell through.
Since the strikes began, many celebrities have come forward in support of the protest, such as Aisha Tyler, Jodie Turner-Smith, Yvonne Orji, and Vivica A. Fox, to name a few.
On July 19, Mo'Nique showed her solidarity on Instagram by recalling her past experiences of being shunned by influential people and companies simply for demanding more money due to her expertise in the field.
The various reasons why Mo'Nique was allegedly blackballed in the industry were because the star refused to promote the hit 2009 film Precious for no additional pay and her highly publicized discrimination lawsuit against Netflix.
Mo'Nique boycotted and sued Netflix for gender and racial bias in 2019 after the company offered her $500,000 for a comedy special. At the same time, other comedians like Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and Amy Schumer received paychecks worth millions of dollars. The lawsuit between Mo'Nique and Netflix was ultimately settled last year for an undisclosed amount, and the actress has since released her stand-up special My Name Is Mo'Nique on the platform.
Mo'Nique's Resurfaced Viral Clip On Boycotting and Low Wages
In the post, which featured a compilation video of Mo'Nique's past interviews on Steve, TV One's NewsOneNow, and The View, the 55-year-old discussed why she was very adamant about standing her ground when it came to Netflix and refusing to take on any project that didn't pay her what she's worth.
In the 2019 Steve interview, Mo'Nique explained that she called for a Netflix boycott at the time because of the low compensation she was presented with.
"Inequality is devastating, and it's extreme. When people say, 'Mo'Nique, do you think calling a boycott was extreme?' You damn right. Isn't inequality extreme?" she said.
Further into the clip, Mo'Nique opened up about the adverse effects of calling out powerful people without getting support from her community.
"I got labeled as difficult because I said one word, and that was no. You called me with the morning show on the phone. I said to you, Steve [Harvey], my family is suffering behind this," she stated. "Y'all know I did nothing wrong. Y'all know my husband did nothing wrong. But none of y'all in real time was strong enough to go public."
In another interview with TV One's NewsOneNow, Mo'Nique provided insight into why she declined many roles that had what she considered lowball offers and how it could impact the future generation.
"It's not like I couldn't be on television or couldn't be back in the movies," she said. "But the offers didn't make sense, and we felt like if we continued to accept the offers coming in, what does that leave the little girl, who's not here yet."
Mo'Nique On Current WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strike
In addition to the compilation video, Mo'Nique shared a touching caption regarding her stance on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.
The BMF star informed her fans that she supports the cause because she's been fighting about this for years, so much so that she and fellow actress Countess Vaughn are also suing to get their residual money from The Parkers, which is currently streaming on Netflix.
"Hey, my sweet babies. Folks keep asking me how I feel about the strike! As you can see from above, I've been verbally striking for years," she wrote. "But some of my brothers & sisters, as the video shows, have been striking me down for years. But, yes I support the WGA & SAG/AFTRA. That's why @Countessdvaughn & I filed a lawsuit to get our money from The Parkers!!!
@Countessdvaughn We are The Parkers!!!
I love us 4real!!!"
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Paras Griffin/WireImage
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage
