Mo'Nique recently appeared on an episode of the podcast Club Shay Shay, for an explosive 3-hour-long conversation which saw the Precious actress airing out her grievances with numerous former collaborators. Following Katt Williams's footsteps, Mo'Nique utilized the platform to take aim at the likes of D.L. Hughley, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, and reignite a years-old feud with Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. Mo'Nique sparked her feud with Tyler Perry well over a decade ago, and despite occasional lulls, the conflict has never found a resolution. Here's a look into what she said, and the origins of the age-old feud.
Read More: Why Mo'Nique & D.L. Hughley Are At Odds
The Feud Began During The Precious Press Tour
After filming wrapped for the movie Precious, where Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry served as executive producers, Mo'Nique received a request to embark on a press tour to promote the film. The Original Queens of Comedy performer agreed to appear in promotional interviews and talk shows but refused to fly out to attend the Cannes Film Festival in France. Mo'Nique claims that producers urged her to promote the film at the prestigious event, though they explained that her appearance would be unpaid, as it was not part of her original contract for the film.
Mo'Nique refused to attend and later, issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter expressing her frustration with the producers. "I’m doing a talk show, I’m doing a comedy tour," she said. "I have a husband and I have babies. I have a little bit of downtime and I’m going to take advantage of it. So I’m not going anywhere because I’m not obligated to go anywhere. I’ve done my part.”
Mo'Nique Claims She Was Blackballed From The Industry
After Mo'Nique frustrated Tyler Perry and the other producers of Precious, she claims her career suffered, and they labeled her with the scarlet letter of being difficult to work with. In the years following the inception of this feud, Mo'Nique says Precious director Lee Daniels has personally expressed regret regarding the way producers have treated her. However, both Oprah and Tyler Perry have refused to publicly apologize.
Mo'Nique claims to have an audio recording of Tyler Perry, taken in 2022, in which the House Of Payne creator agrees to mend fences and admit his wrongdoings publicly, though Perry seems to have never followed through on that promise. During her Club Shay Shay appearance, Mo'Nique explained that she sent the audio recording to controversial civil rights leader Al Sharpton, who agreed to step in and mediate a public discussion between them.
Read More: Mo'Nique "Apologizes" To Oprah, Tyler Perry, And More During Katt Williams Tour
The Beef Is Currently In A State Of Limbo
After speaking with Al Sharpton, Mo'Nique says she received radio silence from the reverend for over 6 months. "The next time we saw Al Sharpton, he was on a podium talking about 'We don't need to fly commercial, cuz we can fly Tyler Perry's private jet.' ...that's why maybe I'm not hearing back from him," she explained during her Club Shay Shay. At this time, Tyler Perry has never publicly addressed the feud, or taken responsibility for the state of Mo'Nique's career. Clearly, Mo'Nique is not ready to move on from the beef just yet, as she prepares to take her grievances on the road during Katt Williams' Dark Matter tour.
