Mo’Nique and Lee Daniels Open Up About ‘Making Movie Magic’ After Ending Feud

Monique and Lee Daniels. (Credit: Shutterstock)

Mo’Nique and Lee Daniels say they are now like family — after ending their feud.

The two sat down in a new video from Netflix released on Aug. 27, to address working together again after their 13-year spat. The video was posted on X, to promote their new film, The Deliverance.

“You know a lot of people, they didn’t see us together for a long time, right?”, Mo’Nique says. 

She later tells a story about the two taking a walk together. During the walk, Daniels asked her why she didn’t just keep quiet in the past. She quipped that they wouldn’t be together now if she had remained silent. 

Related: Mo’Nique Trashes ‘Gatekeepers’ Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry During Podcast Interview

Daniels called Mo’Nique his “sister, best friend, and lover without the sex.”

The Precious director noted how once he yelled “action,” it was like they had never stopped working together. 

“And here we are again, making movie magic,” Mo’Nique said at the end of the video.

The feud between Daniels and Mo’Nique started all the back during the 2009/2010 Hollywood awards season. 

The actress and comedian refused to participate in events to promote independent film Precious unless she was given additional compensation. Mo’Nique starred as Precious’ abusive mother Mary. 

In the end, the comedian won the trophy for best supporting actress at the 82nd Academy Awards

Although she said she was blacklisted by not only Daniels but also Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, who were executive producers of the project. 

Daniels, in a 2018 interview with TMZ, said that he didn’t torpedo Mo’Nique’s Hollywood career because she did it all on her own by being difficult. 

Things began to simmer down in April 2022, when Daniels shared on Instagram that the two had ended their spat. 

He also attended one of  Mo’Nique’s standup shows and went on stage to say, “I am so sorry for hurting you in any way that I did.”

Still, Mo’Nique continues to publicly bash Oprah and Tyler Perry.

Earlier this year, Mo’Nique and Daniels released their first project together since Precious, the supernatural thriller, The Reading. Daniels was the producer of the BET+ original film, while Mo’Nique was the lead. 

The Deliverance marks their first film  project since Precious, where Daniels is the director. 

Below is the full clip of Mo’Nique and Lee Daniels: