Mo’Nique Demands Accountability From Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry

Mo’Nique’s long-running conflict with Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry has once again surfaced, with the actress making fresh claims about the damage she says they caused to her career.

Speaking on the podcast Outlaws with TS Madison on Tuesday, August 19, the Academy Award winner delivered sharp criticism toward both moguls, accusing them of deliberately harming her livelihood and refusing to take responsibility.

Her frustration with Winfrey stems in part from a personal betrayal. Mo’Nique revealed that her estranged relatives, including her mother, father, and brother Gerald Imes, were invited onto The Oprah Winfrey Show.

She has previously spoken about how Imes molested her as a child and described Winfrey’s decision to feature him as a deep act of disloyalty. She also accused Winfrey of fueling inequality in the way she handled their strained relationship.

The conflict traces back to 2009, when Mo’Nique declined to join the global promotional campaign for Precious. The film, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, was co-produced by Winfrey and Perry alongside director Lee Daniels.

While Daniels publicly apologized to Mo’Nique in 2022 and the two have since reconciled, she insists Perry and Winfrey have not made similar efforts.

On the podcast, Mo’Nique focused heavily on Perry, recalling an alleged falsehood he spread about her. “And that lie cost me 12 years of my career,” she said. “And I know that you work for that man. But as I told you before, and I’m going to say it again, until he fixes it, I will not stop. Because that’s how the monster is created. We’re too afraid. We’re too scared. We’re too fearful that you going to take something from me.”

Mo’Nique added that Perry’s actions resulted in financial loss for her family. “Tyler Perry, you cost my family millions and millions and millions of dollars,” she told Madison.

She pointed to Daniels’ apology as proof of how reconciliation should take place, saying that since she was shamed in public, the restoration must also be public.

Her accusations went even further. Mo’Nique compared Perry to disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein and said both he and Winfrey possess a “God complex.” She insisted that she is not the only person to suffer mistreatment from them, citing an alleged phone call where Perry privately admitted regret over how he handled her situation. For Mo’Nique, regret without public accountability is meaningless.

The actress has also issued previous demands for restitution. In March, she directed criticism at Perry after his eulogy at Angie Stone’s funeral service, claiming that public words of kindness are not enough to repair the career damage and personal harm she endured.

Her message during the podcast was firm. “Either you’ll fix it in life or you’ll be dealt with in death. It’s totally up to you. But I’m not going nowhere, Oprah,” she declared. “I’m not going anywhere until y’all take accountability and fix it. Y’all messed with my livelihood, which messes with my family. Never would I do that to anyone. So, until they fix it, I won’t back down.”

Over a decade after Precious, Mo’Nique maintains that the actions of Winfrey and Perry left lasting scars on her career. Her demand for a public correction has not changed, and she shows no sign of retreating until she receives the accountability she believes is owed.