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Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard a lot from actress Mo’Nique. The Oscar winner stirred up discussion when she revealed that she had been “blackballed” from Hollywood, more so she was given this information form Empire creator, Lee Daniels. I got a phone call from Lee Daniels maybe six or seven months ago. And he said to me, “Mo’Nique, you’ve been blackballed.” And I said, “I’ve been blackballed? Why have I been blackballed?” And he said, “Because you didn’t play the game.” And I said, “Well, what game is that?” And he gave me no response.

As the plot continues to unfold, Mo’Nique decided that she wants to talk it out with Daniels – in public. “I no longer have Lee’s phone number but would love to have a conversation with my brother, but we would have to do it publicly because the ones we’ve had privately — when you then speak about them — you don’t tell what the real conversation was,” Mo mentions to Hello Beautiful. When a person is saying, I want to do it publicly, does it sound like a person who has something to hide? I don’t bind to the A-list, I don’t bind to the elite. I’m just a regular folk from Baltimore, Maryland.


JaaiR (JR)
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Since opening up, Mo’Nique has received backlash from others like Precious co-star Gabourey Sidibe and Empire co-creator, Danny Strong.

What was your reaction to Gabourey Sidibe’s tweet about “Precious?” Did you think she was calling you the “liar” and “selfish” one?

“I’m not going to assume anything that sister was thinking. That’s why I simply responded back to her the way that I did. For Gabourey Sidibe, I have nothing but the utmost respect and love for that baby because nobody got the chance to sit next to that magical sister in those scenes but me, so there’s nothing anyone can say to me that could change my mind about that sweet woman.”

“Empire” co-creator Danny Strong said you were never offered the role of Cookie on “Empire.” What was your response to that?

“I tweeted him back. I understand why you would say that, however, when you find out the truth, will you speak as loudly? I’ve never had any communication with Mr. Strong. I’ve never met Mr. Strong. Lee’s never mentioned Mr. Strong so I have no idea who Mr. Strong is. So if Lee is telling Mr. Strong, ‘No, I didn’t offer Mo’Nique those things … No, I didn’t talk to Mo’Nique about that,’ then that’s Lee’s friend and his business partner so all he’s doing is standing up for his friend. Me and my husband, Sidney, we respect people like that. However, when you find out the truth will you speak as loudly? Then it will make you question your friendship to say, ‘Why would you let me go out into the world and say something that you knew wasn’t true?’”

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