Lee Daniels: Mo'Nique got her self blackballed in Hollywood with 'reverse racism'

theGRIO REPORT - Director Lee Daniels opens up about Mo'Nique being "blackballed" in Hollywood..

Feb 26, 2015

Lee Daniels sat down with CNN’s Don Lemon Wednesday night to discuss the overwhelming success of his new TV series, Empire, and more.

Daniels also opened up about Oscar winner Mo’Nique, who made headlines recently for saying Daniels told her she was “blackballed” in Hollywood.

Bottom line, Daniels says Mo’Nique made outrageous demands to the film studio and “didn’t play the game”

“She was making unreasonable demands, and she wasn’t thinking — this was when reverse racism was happening, I think,” He said. “You have to thank the producers of the film, you have to thank the studio, and she didn’t understand that. I love her, I’ve spoken to her. She’s brilliant, and I love working with brilliant people.”

Watch the full segment between CNN’s Don Lemon and Director Lee Daniels below:

“Sometimes artists get in their own way — I know I certainly do often, I have my own demons,” he confessed while discussing Mo’Nique’s fledgling film career.

“I think that there were demands that were made on the Precious campaign that everyone knows hurt her. I told her that.”

Daniels says he doesn’t think Mo’Nique’s treatment had anything to do with her race. “I don’t like calling the race card; if I buy into it, then it’s real,” he said.

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