After Oscar-winning comedienne Mo'Nique took to Instagram to call for a boycott of Netflix, she has been met with mixed reactions when many didn't want to boycott the popular streaming service because she was only offered $500,000 for a comedy special.
There were other critics who believed that Netflix offered her a reasonable amount based on notoriety and her career. But it turns out the Netflix deal was even worse than many would have thought.
In response to reports claiming that she was really offered a $3 million deal, Mo'Nique took to Instagram once more to dispel any rumor claiming she misled the media by releasing the email discussing the deals. The Root reports that story may have originated with Internet personality Jawn Murray.
The details of the deal reveal that Mo'Nique would have been shortchanged in multiple ways if she agreed.
Netflix would own the copyright to the program, audio rights and control all exhibition rights; Mo'Nique wouldn't be able to work for anyone else for 12 months and following that year, she could do a special with another entity only after Netflix passed. She wouldn't be able to negotiate a comedy special for a year after the special aired and couldn't tell jokes that were featured in the special for two years after the special aired.
According to the emails posted, Netflix promised to pay her the $500,000 for her services and the production of the special which is reportedly $310,000, but Mo'Nique would practically be out of work for up to two years and unable to seek other comedy specials.
On Saturday, the comedienne released more emails and a video calling out the aforementioned reporter Jawn Murray and Girls Trip producer Will Packer into the ever-expanding Netflix wage scandal. This time, it isn't about Netflix.
The latest post starts off with Mo'Nique alleging that Murray lied about the details of the deal and that Packer, who she worked with on 2016's Almost Christmas, did not send the rest of the emails telling the complete story. Mo'Nique said that Packer tried to "intimidate" and "ruin her character" in the video introducing an email exchange between her husband/manager Sidney Hicks and Packer about production issues on the 2016 film's set.
The first email from Packer states that her manager has been demanding unfair accommodations for Mo'Nique, the set issues she has brought up are unfounded and not true and that Packer was warned not to work with the comedienne by other Hollywood insiders.
According to Packer's emails, Hicks was concerned about the number of white people on set. There were also issues with compensation for marketing the 2016 film in which Hicks wanted more for Mo'Nique's part in selling the holiday picture.
Hicks' subsequent emails referred to an instance on set where he alleges Packer tried to intimidate Mo'Nique. For several paragraphs, Mo'Nique's husband and manager talked about how the comedienne used the term "Head Nigger in Charge" to refer to Packer's position on set. He assures Packer that it was just a joke and that it was not a slight to take offense.
In the last email, Hicks challenges Packer's power claiming that if he really was the "HNIC" he would not have to fight for Mo'Nique; just saying he wants her there should suffice. The post ends with a video showing the damaged trailers from a fire on set. Mo'Nique said that she is still waiting for a letter asking if the crew lost any personal items from the incident.
