Mo'Nique announces first Netflix comedy special after settling lawsuit

Oscar-winning actress Mo'Nique appears to have made amends with Netflix.

The comedian will film her first stand-up comedy special for Netflix after settling a gender and racial bias lawsuit against the streamer in June, per a video message shared by Netflix Tuesday. "Can y'all believe this sh--?" Mo'Nique says in the video. "Can y'all believe this sh--! I done came on home to Netflix!"

Additional details about the unnamed special, set to be filmed in Atlanta this year, will be shared on a later date. The announcement follows news that Mo'Nique will reunite with Precious director Lee Daniels on a new Netflix horror film, The Deliverance, after a decades-long estrangement. "You won't want to miss either of them, so y'all stay tuned," she adds in the clip.

Initially titled Demon House, The Deliverance follows a mother who must fight for her life and the souls of her children after discovering that their new home is haunted by a demonic presence. The film will also star Andra Day, Glenn Close, Aunjanue Ellis, Caleb McLaughlin, Tasha Smith, Omar Epps, Demi Singleton, Miss Lawrence, and Anthony B. Jenkins.

Mo'Nique boarded the project in April after Octavia Spencer dropped out due to a scheduling conflict. Earlier that month, she and Daniels publicly ended their 13-year feud, which stemmed from Mo'Nique's accusations that Daniels "blackballed" her from Hollywood after she won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar. (In response, Daniels told TMZ, "It breaks my heart that she feels that we blackballed her. No one blackballed her. Mo'Nique blackballed her.")

Tommaso Boddi/WireImage Mo'Nique

The duo buried the hatchet after the director stopped by a New York comedy show where Mo'Nique was performing. "I am so sorry for hurting you in any way that I did," he said. Turning to the live audience, he said, "She was my best friend, my best friend. Y'all think that Precious was just — that was God working, through both of us. And we're gonna f---ing do it again!"

As for the settlement with Netflix, Mo'Nique sued the streaming giant in 2019 and accused the company of racial and gender bias. The comedian alleged that Netflix offered her $500,000 for a stand-up special in 2017 when Amy Schumer, Ricky Gervais, and Dave Chappelle reportedly made millions in their respective specials. It alleged that "Netflix's treatment of Mo'Nique began with a discriminatory low-ball offer and ended with a blacklisting act of retaliation."

A spokesperson for Netflix at the time maintained that the offer was fair. "We care deeply about inclusion, equity, and diversity and take any accusations of discrimination very seriously," the spokesperson said, per Deadline. "We believe our opening offer to Mo'Nique was fair — which is why we will be fighting this lawsuit."

Netflix declined to comment on details of the settlement when reached for comment by EW Tuesday.

Related content:

• Lee Daniels and Mo'Nique to reunite for new movie after finally squashing Precious beef

• Lee Daniels fired 'disrespectful' Precious crew after white DP couldn't light Black skin

• Mo'Nique: I was 'blackballed' after Oscar win