Mo’Nique opens up about her Netflix special, ‘My Name Is Mo’Nique’

Mo’Nique is opening up about her Netflix special, My Name Is Mo’Nique.

The project is a concept that was conceived in 2017, but hit a few bumps in the road, including being dropped by the streamer and her filing a racial and gender discrimination lawsuit against them in 2019 claiming they were paying her less than other stars. The lawsuit was settled and now, over five years later, the special has been released on the platform.

“I think that things happen when they’re supposed to,” the comedian told Entertainment Tonight about the special that premiered on April 4. 

Mo’Nique also shared how the content she would have originally put out changed, given that so much time has passed.

“Now, I’m a 55-year-old woman. I’ve seen more life [and] I’ve had more experiences. I’m even more unapologetic now than I was then,” she said. “So I think that with life comes experience comes wisdom comes knowledge comes freedom… I have nothing to hide. I wear everything on my sleeve so I have nothing to hide.”

“You know, sometimes people say, ‘Well, why did you say that?’ Because it’s mine. And because it’s mine, my experience, my journey, my walk, I can say it how I choose to,” she continued. “I can say it when I want to because it is mine. So April 4, baby, the world will hear. It’s mine to tell.”

Coming up, Mo’Nique’s also set to star in Netflix’s The Deliverance, directed by Lee Daniels, whom she feuded with for 13 years over accusations he blackballed her for not promoting the 2009 film Precious during awards season. They have since patched things up. 

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