Mo'Nique Demands Money to Promote Precious

Apparently you gotta show Mo'Nique the money or she won't promote a film she's appearing in.

According to an insider who spilled the tea to Showbiz411's Roger Friedman, Mo’Nique has been hesitant to do any press for "Precious", the Lee Daniel's film in which she plays "Mary" the title character's abusive mother, unless she's paid big bucks do those promotional appearances.

One source close to the production insists that Mo’Nique asked for $100,000 at one point to show up with the rest of the cast. The last time she did any publicity for the film, which is about to be released, was last January at the Sundance Film Festival.

Apparently, too, Mo’Nique’s demands have been communicated abroad, too. Foreign distributors have also balked at her demands.

At Lionsgate, a spokesperson insists this isn’t true. “Mo’Nique is doing the ‘Today’ show for us, she’s coming to the New York Film Festival. She had scheduling conflicts for Cannes and Toronto, but she did come to the Sundance festival. We’re not paying her to do anything.” Calls to Mo’Nique’s publicist have never been returned.

The weird thing is, this seems to be an open secret. Everyone connected to “Precious” knows about it. On Sunday, the whole cast showed up in Toronto for a party at the Royal Ontario Museum and a premiere at Roy Thomson Hall. Mariah Carey, Gabby Sidibe, Sherri Shephard, and Paula Patton were all in attendance. Only Mo’Nique and Lenny Kravitz — who’s touring and recording — were absent.

Say it ain't so! The film opens Nov. 6 and since one of it's first screening way back when, it's been garnering all sorts of Oscar buzz. So if this is true, it's quite unfortunate.


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