Mo’Nique’s Husband Compares Comedian To Dr. King, Reveals What Steve Harvey Told Her After Controversial Appearance On Talk Show
Mo’Nique’s Husband Compares Comedian To Dr. King, Reveals What Didn’t Air On Her Controversial Steve Harvey Appearance
Comedienne Mo’Nique isn’t finished standing her ground. She and her husband/manager, Sidney Hicks, have faced backlash for calling out her powerful “Precious” colleagues – Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and Lee Daniels – accusing them of attempting to have her blackballed from the entertainment industry. She, later, called for a boycott of the streaming giant, Netflix, for offering her less money than comics like Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer, and Chris Rock.
theJasmineBRAND broke the story, prior to the episode airing, that Mo’Nique had a heated exchange during her appearance with fellow comedian/talk show host Steve Harvey.
On the latest episode of their podcast, “Monique & Sidney’s Open Relationship,” the couple addressed the controversies – but not without throwing a little shade.
On the way Steve Harvey handled Mo’Nique’s “STEVE” appearance, Sidney stated,
When her and Steve got a chance to discuss it, you got a chance to see it in a very rudimentary way. A very elementary and basic way laid out…”
Mo’Nique commented on how people are willing to do anything it takes to secure money and fame, encouraging people not to hate some of the people that she’s called out.
There’s still so many that say, ‘Oh, I got it, and I ain’t gon’ do sh*t to mess it up. And whatever it take for me to keep it-‘ So what we’re saying right now is, it’s being said out of love. Someone put, ‘I hate Steve.’ Please don’t. That’s the last thing we want, baby. The last thing we want is for anybody to hate our brother. For anybody to hate Oprah, Tyler, Lee, Steve, Will Packer– we don’t want nobody to hate our brothers and sisters. What we want is for us to fall in love with each other for real.”
Sidney also compared his wife’s fight to to Malcolm X and MLK:
“The same people that we deal with now, in history, that’s saying, ‘Mo’Nique, you should be quiet,’ were the same ones who told Malcolm. They were the same ones who told MLK, ‘Y’all were crazy for standing up for your rights.'”
Sidney also explains the basics of why they believe Mo’Nique’s “Precious” colleagues attempted to blackball her.
“What Mo’Nique and I have been saying all along is…first, in telling me to let Lionsgate, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels know, ‘Thank you for the opportunity to go promote this movie internationally for you, though I’m not contractually obligated to do so. But, I’m gonna respectfully decline. If you want me to go-‘ which they said to me, ‘We’d really love her to do it because of the incredible job that she did, domestically, for Lee Daniels, Entertainment’ – they, then, said, ‘What is it that we can do for Mo’Nique to have a go?’ I, then, said, ‘There’s a dollar amount.’ That’s when everyone passed out, there was a black-out, people fell out – and then there was a rumor that she was asking for money to promote the movie. So, when you get a chance to see and pull back the lens, what she was saying is, ‘I can’t allow Hollywood to take advantage of me,’ especially as an Academy Award-winner.’ Especially as the individual that was the headliner for the most successful female comic tour in the history of the game, along with other accolades. Because if she does that, she’s gonna lower the bar for the rate for all the sisters that don’t have those same credits.”
On being told to stay silent, Mo’nique says:
“Mo’Nique: What if the ones that came before us, just let it go? What if the ones that came before us were too afraid to say something? And believe me, there were those ones…for the ones that want to stay quiet, keep your ass quiet.”
Mo’Nique revealed that Steve Harvey continued to encourage her to stay silent off air:
“For us, and what did not get aired on the show, is when Steve Harvey said to me, ‘I will not let my family crumble over integrity, with me trying to make a stand or a point.’…With no integrity, your family is already crumbled. I don’t give a got damn how many mansions you pull up to, I don’t give a godd*mn how many private yachts you pull up to. I don’t give a f*ck about all the material sh*t. If you have no integrity, you are already crumbled.”
The comedian also says she will continue to publicly discuss their issues with the industry.
“…we must still speak on it, for us to be better as a people.”
Watch the latest podcast episode of “Monique & Sidney’s Open Relationship” below.
Written by Miata Shanay