Countess Vaughn Seemingly Stands w/ Mo’Nique As The Comedienne Sues Paramount & CBS Over Unpaid Royalties From ‘The Parkers’

April 13, 2023 by Ashley Blackwell in TV with 0 Comments

Countess Vaughn Seemingly Stands w/ Mo’Nique As The Comedienne Sues Paramount & CBS Over Unpaid Royalties From ‘The Parkers’

It looks like legendary actress/comedienne Mo’Nique’s The Parkers co-star, Countess Vaughn, supports her most recent lawsuit!

Mo’Nique is suing Paramount and CBS over withheld pay from her hit sitcom The Parkers.

Mo’Nique

Subsequent to Mo’Nique sharing the news via social media, Countess Vaughn took to her Instagram Story and posted an article about her former co-star’s lawsuit, seemingly showing her support for her TV mother.

In the caption for the post about her lawsuit, Mo’Nique wrote,

“Today we filed a lawsuit to make sure that we are fairly paid money that we are owed for ‘The Parkers.’ Actors rely on the good faith of Hollywood companies to honor their profit participation agreements. The Parkers was a huge success and continues to be a source of revenue through syndication and streaming channels.”

She added,

“To further make my point, the Executive Producers of ‘The Parkers’ took legal action for the same concerns that I have, and they’ve already settled. Unfortunately, all too often, talent gets kept in the dark. We’re looking forward to shedding some light on the subject! I LOVE US 4REAL!!”

Created by Ralph Farguhar, Sara V. Finney, and Vida Spears, the classic comedy, which served as a spin-off of fellow UPN phenomenon Moesha, ran from 1999 to 2004 and instantly became a global sensation for Black television viewers.

Along with Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, The Parkers originally starred Dorien Wilson, Yvette Wilson, Jenna von Oÿ, Ken Lawson, and Mari Morrow, whose character was later phased out. The famed series followed an around-the-way, mother-daughter duo (Nikki, Kim Parker) and their unconventional, everyday life as students of the same community college.

The Parkers cast

However, although the series has seen a great deal of success, according to Mo’Nique, the show’s overhead has “artificially depressed” millions of the earnings that are rightfully due to its on-screen talent, scripters, and even creators of the cultural smash.

Court filings documented that the ‘Precious’ trouper and her husband’s production company, Hicks Media, claimed a breach of contract, as they listed CBS Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Big Ticket Television responsible for the unfair monetary moves.

The paperwork (allegedly) read:

“While the Series has proven to be a major financial success for its producers and distributors, the series’ talent have not been permitted to share in the fruits of that success.”

Mo’Nique w/ husband Sidney Hicks

Reportedly, damages to be paid to Mo’Nique will be determined upon trial. Expanding on the royalties she hasn’t seen from The Parkers, the 55-year-old concluded her statement with,

“I just want the contractual compensation that I’ve earned.”

As you may know, the Golden Globe winner (who also sued Netflix for racial/gender discrimination after the streaming heavy-hitter initially offered her merely $500,000 for a comedy special) is no stranger to going after what she deserves.

Her attorney, David deRubertis, remarked,

“Mo’Nique is not shy about taking on these David vs. Goliath battles in Hollywood to challenge these questionable practices that are endemics to the industry.”