Oprah Winfrey Is Dragged Back Into an Old Feud by This Oscar Winner
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Oprah Winfrey seems to be finding herself in controversies and feuds lately, but this particular beef with an Oscar winner has a long history. Mo’Nique, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2010 for Precious, believes that the media mogul has had an issue with her ever since her win.
The rivalry seemed to have started after Mo’Nique’s husband, Sidney Hicks, noticed Winfrey didn’t love red-carpet fans screaming for The Parkers star. For some reason, their relationship took a sour turn and Mo’Nique has felt that she’s been boycotted from Hollywood ever since. “The movie The Butler, that movie was offered to me,” she claimed on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast on Wednesday. She also noted that director Lee Daniels had originally offered the role to her until Winfrey came sailing in. “He said, ‘Mo, at the time I didn’t have no power and I didn’t have no money, so when Oprah said she wanted it … So who played the lead role in The Butler? Oprah Winfrey,” she explained.
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Mo’Nique said she feels “betrayed” by the former talk show host, and she had some harsh words for Winfrey. “See, when I speak about Oprah Winfrey — and let me be clear I love that sister — I speak about that woman because she’s spoken about me,” the 56-year-old actress continued. “And when you begin to speak about me privately, I’m going to speak about you publicly.” Mo’Nique seems to be tired of the decades-long feud hiding behind closed doors — she’s had enough. “You’ve been unfair, you’ve been unjust, and you watched a Black woman be thrown under the bus and you said nothing,” she added.
The rift goes even deeper, though, to a traumatic experience that Mo’Nique went through as a child. She was molested by her brother, Gerald Imes, who confessed to his crimes (although he was never charged) and wanted to apologize to his siter on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Mo’Nique “didn’t want anything to do” with his interview, having just won the Oscar. Winfrey allegedly offered to cancel the show, but Mo’Nique was giving her brother the opportunity to share his story, hoping he had learned his lesson.
Unfortunately, Winfrey took the show a step further by also including her estranged parents, who were interviewed alongside Imes. “We never talked about my mother being there,” Mo’Nique recalled. “I understand it. But you betrayed me, sister.” It sounds like there are deep wounds, at least on Mo’Nique’s side, that need to be healed. Hopefully, Winfrey will reach out privately and find a way to make amends for a feud that has stewed for too long.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or visit the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and online.rainn.org.
Before you go, click here to see family feuds we can’t believe played out in public.
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