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“That lie cost me 12 years of my career”: Mo’Nique doubles down on claims that Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry sabotaged her professional life

Mo’Nique criticizes Oprah and Tyler's actions that, according to her, cost her 12 years of her career.
  • Mo’Nique Claims Oprah & Tyler Perry Ruined Her Career (Image via Getty)
    Mo’Nique Claims Oprah & Tyler Perry Ruined Her Career (Image via Getty)

    Mo’Nique has openly talked about her ongoing feud with Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry again. She repeated her claims that they hurt her career more than 10 years ago. The comedian and Academy Award–winning actress made the remarks during an appearance on the Outlaws with TS Madison podcast, which aired on Tuesday, August 19.

    Mo'Nique talked about claims during the interview that Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry had a part in blocking her career chances after she helped promote Precious in 2009. Though she acted in the praised movie and even won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, Mo’Nique explained she refused to do more unpaid promotion for the film. She said the industry then started calling her "difficult," which she feels hurt her career during a key moment in her life.

    About 38 minutes into the podcast, Mo’Nique mentioned Perry and accused him of spreading a “lie” about her. She said she thinks that his story shaped how the public saw her and slowed down her career for 12 years. Mo’Nique added that she won’t stay quiet until both Perry and Winfrey speak about how they contributed to the struggles in her career.

    "And that lie cost me 12 years of my career," she told Madison. "And I know that you work for that man. But as I told you before, and I'm going to say it again, until he fixes it, I will not stop. Because that's how the monster is created. We're too afraid. We're too scared. We're too fearful that you going to take something from me."

    "Either you'll fix it in life or you'll be dealt with in death. It's totally up to you. But I'm not going nowhere, Oprah," she continued. "I'm not going anywhere until y'all take accountability and fix it. Y'all messed with my livelihood, which messes with my family. Never would I do that to anyone. So, until they fix it, I won't back down."

    She explained that she wants public recognition of any mistakes, not just a private discussion. She brought up Lee Daniels as an example. He, as a co-producer of Precious, offered a public apology to Mo’Nique in 2022 after they spent years working through their disagreements.


    Mo’Nique criticizes Oprah’s actions and calls for public apology

    Mo'Nique voiced her concerns about what she called "inequality" in how Oprah Winfrey managed their personal and work-related ties and called for a public apology. She brought up her disappointment with Winfrey's choice to invite members of her estranged family onto The Oprah Winfrey Show. This included her brother, who had openly admitted to molesting her, and it was done without letting Mo'Nique be part of the decision.

    Toward the end of the interview, Mo’Nique stated that she is not alone in her experience and hinted that others in the industry may have also been negatively affected. She emphasized that her goal is not retaliation, but rather accountability and transparency from those she believes played a role in damaging her reputation and career.

    TOPICS: Mo'Nique