Mo’Nique stopped by ABC’s The View Thursday to talk about her ongoing dispute with Netflix and her fight for pay equality for Black female entertainers.
As the Oscar-winning comedian stated her case — that she should have been offered more than $500,000 for a comedy special — Whoopi Goldberg appeared to be unimpressed. In fact, Goldberg remained silent for most of Mo’Nique’s appearance and only spoke up once Mo took jabs at Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and Lee Daniels.
“They wanted me to come work for free to go over to Cannes and promote this film internationally. I said to them, ‘Guys, my deal is with Lee Daniels and I’ve done my job,’” Mo’Nique said of the request to promote Precious. Mo’nique then started to compare the treatment she received after refusing to “play the game” of Hollywood to the actresses who’ve come forward to say they’ve been sexually assaulted and harassed — and that’s when Goldberg wasn’t having it.
“I’m going to stop you because contractually, when you make a movie, regardless of who you sign the deal with, your job is to go and promote said movie,” Goldberg said. “And we’ve had this conversation, and I said if you had called me, I could’ve schooled you on what was expected.”
Mo’Nique pushed back, placing the blame squarely on Precious’ producers Perry, Winfrey, Daniels, and the studio Lionsgate for “taking her livelihood” because she refused to promote the film for free.
“What Tyler Perry showed me, Lee Daniels, Oprah Winfrey and Lionsgate [is] when you don’t do what we ask you to do, we will take your livelihood,” she said. “So for eight years my family has suffered and my career has suffered because I would not allow those entities to bully me. And because I did not allow the bullying to happen, this is what I sit in.”
Goldberg wanted to add more to the tense conversation, but time was up. Backstage, however, things seemed to be quite cordial between the two award-winning actresses and comedians who posed for a cozy picture.
“When folks ask me what’s a legend? Need I say more,” Mo’Nique said about Goldberg. “She is legendary and our legend. Never forget.”