Mo’Nique Says She Was The Original Cookie Lyon

Earlier this week Mo’Nique discussed allegedly being blackballed from Hollywood, turning down offers and Lee Daniels saying that shortly after “Precious” she began making extreme demands and not “playing the game”. Following that CNN appearance, Mo’Nique appeared on Inside Edition where she says Lee Daniels originally cast her to play Cookie Lyon, but FOX said no.

“When he called me up, he offered me the role in Empire as Cookie,” she said, “Maybe four days had gone by, and I hadn’t heard anything. So I’m trying to reach out to him to say, what time do I need to be in? Where do I need to be? When he finally returned the call, he says listen, the executives at Fox said that you’re difficult.” She goes on to say that both she and Lee Daniels know that she’s not difficult. 

As she told CNN, she believes the rumors of her being difficult came from her not agreeing to promote “Precious” at Cannes for free. “If you work a job Monday through Friday and you work 40 hours and then your boss says, ‘well I need you to come in on Saturday,’ do you do that for free, or is that considered overtime?”

No shade, but FOX made the right call with this one. Taraji P Henson is Cookie and Cookie is Taraji. I couldn’t even fathom anyone else playing the character. As far as Mo’Nique being difficult, there has to be more to the story than her not wanting to promote at Cannes. I can’t even say it’s a race thing because Gabourey Sidibe has been employed ever since “Precious”.