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Published 10 years ago
Mo’Nique, her husband Sidney Hicks and the cast of Blackbird have spoken out against LGBT discrimination by posing for the NOH8 Campaign.
Isaiah Washington, who was famously fired from Grey’s Anatomy for repeating a gay slur allegedly used on set, is among the cast members who posed for the campaign.
Check out their photos below.
In juicier news, Mo’Nique recently sat down with Hello Beautiful to once again discuss Lee Daniels, being offered the role of Cookie on Empire and her Precious co-star Gabourey Sidibe. Most noteworthy was Mo’Nique’s declaration that she’d love to have a televised sit-down with Lee.
Check out a few tidbits from their interview below.
HelloBeautiful: During a recent interview, you revealed you and Lee Daniels haven’t picked up the phone to call one other. What would it take for one of you to pick up the phone?
Mo’Nique: 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. 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, who’s living out her dreams. I’m a wife and a mommy and having the time of her life. That can be for the other elite folk, I’m not that.
HB: What was your reaction to Gabourey Sidibe’s tweet about “Precious?” Did you think she was calling you the “liar” and “selfish” one?
Mo’Nique: 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.
HB: You mentioned in an interview, you suggested Gabourey be flown to Paris in first class, was that one of your “difficult” demands?
Mo’Nique: From the amazing journalists and reporters that have talked to [Lee Daniels] no one has yet to say ‘What were her demands?’ and what made her ‘difficult?’ No one asked him that question. Me and Lee Daniels — I know him. We’ve had conversations in the middle of the night. I know him. So when he says I’m difficult and demanding, when he makes that statement, me and that man ain’t never had a drop of an issue, not on “Shadowboxer,” not on “Precious.” And, if I were those people, why ever would you call me for “Empire?” Why ever would you offer me the grandmother in Richard Pryor? Why? Cause Lee knows he and I never had any issues. I simply repeated what he said to me.
HB: “Empire” co-creator Danny Strong said you were never offered the role of Cookie on “Empire.” What was your response to that?
Mo’Nique: 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?’
For more, head on over to Hello Beautiful.
Blackbird hits theaters on April 24.