Atlanta comic Mo’Nique, just a few weeks after settling a discrimination lawsuit with Netflix, has signed a deal with the streaming service for a stand-up special.
In the 2018 lawsuit, she accused the streaming service of systematically underpaying Black women, noting that she was offered $500,000 for a special compared to $11 million for Amy Schumer and $20 million for Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. She said when she complained, Netflix shut down negotiations. At the time, she publicly called for a boycott of Netflix.
But with the settlement for an undisclosed amount behind her, she announced Monday the news of her special on social media, noting: “Can y’all believe this [expletive]? I done came on home to Netflix,” she said. Netflix made a separate announcement as well.
Mo’Nique earlier this year also reconciled with director and producer Lee Daniels, the man who gave her the role in “Precious” for which she received an Oscar in 2010 for best supporting actress. She has agreed to be in his faith-based film “The Deliverance,” which also stars Andra Day, Glenn Close, Aunjanue Ellis, Caleb McLaughlin, Tasha Smith, Omar Epps and Miss Lawrence.
As a previous Vulture story noted, Netflix has vacuumed up a high percentage of high-profile comedic specials in the streaming universe, releasing about one a week. HBO Max, Amazon Prime and other streaming rivals don’t invest nearly as much in stand-up comedians nowadays, limiting Mo’Nique’s leverage.
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