Mo’Nique is the talk of the town after getting remarkably candid about her sexuality in her first-ever Netflix comedy special.
The Oscar-winning actress returned to her comedic roots for a standup show for Netflix, following her legal war with the streaming giant. Toward the end of the one-hour-and-12-minute set, Mo’Nique shared a family story about her religious grandmother and Uncle Tina, who she believed struggled throughout her life due to her grandmother not accepting her gay daughter, as noted by Auto Straddle.
But Mo’Nique recalled how much her grandmother adored her and showered her with love. Their close bond ultimately led to the future Hollywood star withholding her own truth from her family matriarch.
“And I felt, I felt cowardly when my grandmother left. Because I couldn’t tell my grandmother who her granddaughter really was,” Mo’Nique said.
“Cause I didn’t want to be loved privately. I adored how she adored me… So I couldn’t tell my grandmother my secret thoughts. And my fantasies. ‘Cause I didn’t want her to love me privately, and I did not want her to leave this earth thinking she was a failure. ‘Cause had I told her my secret thoughts, she would’ve left thinking that she failed.”
At that moment, the audience was more silent than a church mouse. But Mo’Nique brought back the humor with a crass but lighthearted joke about her sexuality.
“Now I know y’all are looking at me, saying, ‘Wait a minute, b*tch. Are you a m*therfu*kin’ d*ke??’ No I’m not!… all the way,” she quipped.
She finished by recounting how in adulthood she finally found the courage to address her sexuality to her husband and manager, Sidney Hicks. With tears in her eyes, the Precious star recalled Sidney’s response to her coming out as bisexual.
“I said, “Daddy, I want to be with another woman sexually.’ And he looked at me, so beautifully and so patient and so loving, and he said, ‘Bitch, me too!’” Mo’Nique quipped as the audience burst into laughter.
She received mixed reviews and criticism after The Shade Room posted a clip online.
“Comedians are SUPPOSED to tell us about their thoughts and viewpoints. It’s YAAAAWL who shouldn’t be sharing,” one person wrote. “She was paid MILLIONS to give her VIEWPOINT. You just doing it for free!”
“Y’all.. this lady is a comedian. They are supposed to talk about life experiences in a way that’s funny and relatable,” another person explained. “Y’all already don’t want them talking about others. But now they can’t talk about themselves?”
But some were offended by Mo’Nique’s candid reveal.
“I don’t understand married ppl. They wanna be intimate w/ everyone but their spouse. 🙄keep letting extra spirits in yall relationships,” one user quipped.
“Woooooow. So, Mo’Nique has had an open marriage because she’s bisexual? Well alright. Happy early Pride!” one Twitter user wrote.