Mo’Nique says Lee Daniels and others have blackballed her from Hollywood

Typically, when an actor wins an Oscar, they are flooded with roles and opportunities.  You would have expected that after winning an Oscar in 2010 by appearing in “Precious,” directed by Lee Daniels, Mo’Nique would have received numerous opportunities to be in Daniels’ other profitable projects, including “The Butler,” “Empire,” and numerous other endeavors.

But for Mo’Nique, she’s gotten nothing.  Not even a whiff.

Speaking candidly about her experience, Mo’Nique says that Lee Daniels and the rest of Hollywood have basically booted her out of opportunities.  So, rather than getting the rewards that usually come to an Oscar winner, Mo’Nique has been sitting on the sidelines of Hollywood.

According to E! News, Mo’nique apparently did something to upset a lot of people, including Daniels.   This now explains why he would leave an Oscar winner from his previous project out in the cold.

Mo’nique talks about this in an essay in The Hollywood Reporter.

“But I got a phone call from Lee Daniels…And he said to me, ‘Mo’Nique, you’ve been blackballed.’ I said, ‘Why?’ And he said, ‘Because you didn’t play the game,’” she says.

“I said, ‘Well, what game is that?’” she said. “He gave me no response.”

The Academy has been criticized for being racist and political in its choices.  When given her award, Mo’nique gave a speech that some might consider controversial.  Upon receiving the award, she thanked the Academy “for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics.”

Also, Chris Rock, Diddy and others have accused Hollywood of being racist.

Lee Daniels has issued a statement on Mo’Nique’s allegations.  But the statement leaves as many questions as answers:

Mo’Nique is a creative force to be reckoned with. Her demands through Precious were not always in line with the campaign. This soured her relationship with the Hollywood community. I consider her a friend. I have and will always think of her for parts that we can collaborate on, however the consensus among the creative teams and powers thus far were to go another way with these roles.

Here’s the big question as Hollywood has worked to sour the career of a promising young black woman: What is the game anyway?