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Why Did Mo'Nique Sue Netflix? Here's Everything You Need to Know About Oscar Winning Actor's Lawsuit
Comedian and actress Mo'Nique sued Netflix with racial discrimination charges after the negotiation for a comedy special between the two parties went horribly wrong.
Mo'Nique, actress and comedian known for her roles in Precious, Almost Christmas, and The Deliverance, filed a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix with claims of racial and sexual discrimination. She alleged that Netflix offered her a comedy special but didn't leave room for negotiations, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
The Oscar winner was allegedly offered $500,000 for the comedy special show with complete control in the hands of the streamer, including owning copyrights. In her suit, she claimed that this offer reflected the company's intention to underpay a female Black artist.
The suit alleged that Netflix has made millions of dollars worth of contracts with fellow comedians for special standup episodes, including Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Dave Chappelle, and Ricky Gervais. This is mentioned to draw attention to the stark contrast between her offer and these alleged celebrity deals.
In 2019, Netflix denied the accusations in a statement, saying they value "inclusion, equity, and diversity" and take accusations claiming otherwise seriously. "We believe our opening offer to Mo'Nique was fair – which is why we will be fighting this lawsuit," the statement added.
The lawsuit accused the streaming giant of breaking California's fair employment and civil rights laws. After the suit was made public, Mo'Nique took to social media to express her strong stand on the matter. In a post on her Instagram account, she declared she had two choices.
To either accept the pay discrimination or stand up and represent everyone who faced a similar situation before her and would potentially face it in the future. "I chose to stand up," she added. Fortunately, the case didn't turn into a messy debacle.
In 2022, Michael Parks, an attorney representing the comedian, informed The Hollywood Reporter that the lawsuit was "amicably resolved" between the two parties. As for Mo'Nique, she recently created quite a buzz for her performance in Netflix's latest horror movie, The Deliverance.
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