Mo’Nique politely checked actress Rebel Wilson for saying she was the first to “break ground as a plus-sized actress” in movies and television.
Wilson, 38, made the statement during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last week. She was there to discuss her new film, Isn’t It Romantic, and claimed to be breaking new ground as a plus-size actress.
Black Twitter responded swiftly by reminding Wilson that both Mo’Nique and Queen Latifah broke down barriers as plus-sized women in films and television.
Both Mo’Nique and Latifah tipped the scales at 300 lbs. at the peak of their careers.
Mo’Nique, 50, personally addressed Ms. Wilson in a polite tweet over the weekend.
“Hey my sweet sister. Let’s please not allow this business to erase our talent with giving grey areas and technicalities. Take a moment and know the history. DON’T BE A PART OF ERASING IT. I wish you the best.”
Latifah, 48, has starred in several romantic comedies, including 2006 film Last Holiday, while Mo’Nique starred in Phat Girlz in the same year.
Mo’Nique won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her gritty portrayal as an abusive single mom in Precious (2009).
Wilson responded to Mo’Nique by tweeting:
“Hi Monique [sic], it was never my intention to erase anyone else’s achievements and I adore you and Queen Latifah so so much… “I support all plus size ladies and everything positive we are doing together.”
But in Wilson’s original response to the backlash online she said it was “questionable” as to whether Latifah and Mo’Nique “were plus size when filming those movies”, and she added it was unclear whether the movies were actually “categorized/billed as a studio rom-com with a sole lead”, calling it a “slight grey area”.
Mo’Nique hasn’t worked in Hollywood since she slammed ‘Precious’ director Lee Daniels and Oprah Winfrey for allegedly blacklisting her.
Photos by Kevin Winter/Getty Images, MediaPunch / BACKGRID
