Lee Daniels recently sat down with an interview with Raq Rants of TMZ. There, he spoke about the $2 million he owes Dame Dash. Lee told Raq that he will pay the money Dame is owed.
The conversation also turned to Mo’Nique and the way she felt she was treated promoting “Precious.” For those who don’t recall, Mo’Nique claims Lee Daniels, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey blackballed her in Hollywood. This, because she would not promote “Precious” internationally without getting paid more, as the promotion activities weren’t in her contract.
During the interview, Lee says Mo’ is “out of pocket” for continuously calling them out about her feelings of being blackballed. In fact, Lee says they didn’t blackball Mo’Nique, she “blackballed herself.”
During the interview, Lee said the following:
I think people are confusing the Damon Dash [situation] with Mo’Nique. Damon Dash is different from Mo’Nique. With Mo’Nique, I fought hard for her to get that job. I wanted her to get that job, and she was paid her money.
She’s paid the money for the budget we had. And for her to bash myself, Tyler [Perry] and Oprah [Winfrey] is disrespectful and wrong. She’s wrong, she’s out of pocket. She’s really wrong.
And I respect her as a actor, she gave me her soul. But, I gave her my soul. For that role, she was given a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.
It breaks my heart that she feels that we blackballed her. No one blackballed her. Mo’Nique blackballed her. And for her to continue to talk about Oprah, and Tyler, and myself is disrespectful.
I don’t understand her motive. I don’t get it, I really don’t.
We were really down with Mo. Like, to get the performance from her, she had to bare her soul to me. I had to bare my soul to her. That was like making love without having s*x, you understand?
There’s levels to that! And for her to think that we are there, like I could do anything… I don’t know. Like, it ain’t even worth a conversation. She needs to shut up.
Raq then brings up how if she had the opportunity Mo had, she would’ve done whatever Lee asked. She said she would’ve ran with it. Lee said Mo did run with opportunities from winning awards from her “Precious” role.
Finally, Lee said Mo’Nique needs to “shut up” about it. He likes working with the same actors on his movies, and alludes Mo’s attitude caused her not to get roles.
Check out the full interview below.
UPDATE:
Mo’Nique posted a response to Lee Daniel’s TMZ interview. Not only did Mo’ call Lee’s statement a lie, she promised not to stop talking.
She also told Lee to shut up.
NETFLIX DEAL. Get it straight from me. “Lee Daniels behave” LOVE YALL FOR REAL.
A post shared by Mo’nique (@therealmoworldwide) on
