If it were up to me, I would want everyone to get along. I think this situation with Tyler Perry and Monique has gone on long enough. I can tell that, in her mind, Monique felt she found the perfect time to bring her case up again about being blacklisted in the industry. I’m starting to think her feelings are hurt. I believe she looked at Tyler in a different light than he realized. For him not to give her the apology she feels she deserves, she just won’t let this go.
From my understanding of the fallout, Monique made Precious with Lee. They finished the movie, and it was supposed to go straight to DVD—not Netflix, not Prime, and not to theaters, but straight to DVD. She agreed to $50,000. The movie was done and ready to be released. Then, Lee showed the movie to Oprah, who loved it and shared it with Tyler, who also loved it. I’m assuming that Lee, Oprah, and Tyler decided in good faith to support the movie and push it so everyone could benefit. Monique would get an Oscar for her performance, more roles, and lots of money. Lee would gain recognition for his work, and everyone involved would see significant advantages.
I’m guessing that after seeing the movie and deciding to promote it, they approached Monique to ask her to do press, which meant supporting the movie through interviews and events. However, what I don’t understand is that, since this movie was originally going straight to DVD, Monique was already done with the commitments she had agreed to. If they now wanted the movie to go straight to theaters, they should have gone back and renegotiated her contract. Everybody knows that if Tyler Perry and Oprah put their names on a project, its success will skyrocket!
I’m sure Monique went to Lee to ask for more money to cover travel expenses and promotional activities, but he said no, despite knowing how profitable the movie could become. That’s a significant issue. Here’s where I start raising my eyebrows: Was Monique pressured by Tyler to do press without being informed of what she was originally paid to do? Did Tyler know her financial arrangement and still expect her to do the press for free? Or did he understand her hesitation, respecting her decision not to spend her own money, and feel that Lee should have covered her expenses? Perhaps he told her to forget about the money and focus on the potential benefits of earning an Oscar. But Tyler Perry, as a billionaire, can’t reasonably expect someone to do something for free under those circumstances. No ma’am.
Bottom line, Monique feelings are hurt. Maybe Tyler should just give her an apology.
Inside the mind of cree 