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Cousins! Mo’Nique is no stranger to speaking up in regard to unfair treatment within the entertainment industry. The comedian has come forward to give her full support to Taraji P. Henson following her long list of on-set issues for The Color Purple!
In an exclusive interview with The Root, Mo’Nique alongside her husband SidneyHicks called out the ‘Color Purple’ executive producer Oprah Winfrey upon accusations of failing to champion for the film’s actors.
As we previously reported Taraji came forth during a ‘Color Purple’ press run a few weeks ago about unequal pay gaps Black actors often face in Hollywood. She also issued claims actors were advised to rent cars and drive themselves to set each day. After catching strays online, Oprah said that she championed for the team of actors each time an issue was brought to her attention.
“What [she] did was, ‘We can treat them like we always treat them, who gon’ check me boo? I’m Oprah Winfrey,’” said Mo’Nique. “You know everything should have been done when you showed up…Now when you hear our beautiful sisters saying, ‘yeah but it got fixed,’ it’s like we’re making it worse.”
“So, when Oprah Winfrey sits at the helm and Taraji P. Henson says, ‘It’s an honor that we were hand-picked for this movie,’ Well, if they were hand-picked for that movie, those women should have been taken care of from the moment go.”
Sidney also chimed in to explain that Oprah’s role as an executive producer is to address and resolve any on-set issues before the beginning of production. However, Oprah has come forward in various interviews to state that she addressed each issue when she became aware.
“If you look up the title of ‘producer,’ you’ll find that what Oprah fixed should have already been prepared when they got there. You shouldn’t have to fix that because it should have already been done,” said Sidney.
“Oprah got caught,” Mo’Nique added. “That’s what happened.”
Though Taraji’s recent comments have amplified a discourse into how Black women are often undervalued in comparison to their white counterparts; Mo’Nique has utilized a large portion of her career advocating similar concerns.
Whether it’s regarding unequal pay or unfair treatment of Black women in the entertainment industry, Mo’Nique has been vocal in using her platform to call out the masses. Sadly, the issues that she religiously advocated for were constantly swept under the rug and went unnoticed.
Cousins, what are your thoughts on this?
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