Monday, March 18, 2024

‘You Gotta Play Ball’ – Lee Daniels on Mo’Nique Being ‘Blackballed

lee-daniels-mo'nique*Days after Mo’Nique claimed that Lee Daniels said she had been “blackballed” in Hollywood after winning her best supporting actress Oscar for her work in “Precious,” Daniels himself is weighing in again on the situation.

The filmmaker initially responded to Mo’Nique’s comments via a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, but apparently that wasn’t enough as he spoke to CNN’s Don Lemon, saying that what he actually told Mo’Nique wasn’t exactly what she claimed.

“I didn’t say that exactly…We were out on the campaign and she was making unreasonable demands…and this is where reverse racism, I think, happens,” Daniels confessed Wednesday. “I said, ‘You have to thank the producers of the film, you have to thank the studio,’ and I think she didn’t understand that. And I said, ‘Listen, people aren’t going to respond well if you don’t.”

“I love her, and I’ve spoken to her. And she’s brilliant, and I like working with brilliant people. But sometimes artists get in their own way — I know I certainly do often, I have my own demons that I get in front of myself…I think there were demands that were made from her on the ‘Precious’ campaign, that everyone knows about, that hurt her. And I told her that,” he continued.

Setting the record straight on what he said wasn’t the only thing Daniels touched on regarding Mo’Nique. The movie director also offered a bit of advice for the actress-comedienne regarding what to do to thrive in Hollywood and the world of making movies.

“This is not just show. It’s show-business and you gotta play ball,” he said.” I don’t like calling the race card. I don’t believe in it, because if I buy into it then it becomes, ‘real.’ If I knew what I knew when I was 21, I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now.”

To see Daniels’ interview with Lemon, check out the video below:

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