Aaron Poole/E! Leisure/NBCU Photograph Financial institution
Contemporary off the premiere of her Netflix standup particular—in addition to a extremely publicized lawsuit in opposition to the streamer—Mo’Nique is suing yet one more main media firm for allegedly withholding pay.
On Wednesday, the Oscar-winning actress filed a lawsuit in opposition to Paramount and CBS for unpaid royalties over her former tv present The Parkers, in response to the Related Press.
The breach-of-contract lawsuit claims that the firms purposely inhibited the present’s profitability to “retain thousands and thousands that will in any other case be contractually due” to her and her husband Sidney Hicks’ manufacturing firm, Hicks Media. The lawsuit additionally alleges that the present’s writers and creators had been underpaid.
“Whereas the Collection has confirmed to be a serious monetary success for its producers and distributors, the sequence’ expertise haven't been permitted to share within the fruits of that success,” the lawsuit reads.
The go well with additionally states, “Given the success of [The Parkers], which ceased manufacturing after 110 episodes (inserting it above the profitable 100-episode threshold historically obligatory for a tv present to be syndicated), in addition to the contractual limitations positioned on how the sequence’ AGR should be calculated, Plaintiff fairly anticipated to take pleasure in vital contingent compensation from the Collection’ revenues. That expectation has not confirmed to be the truth.”
The Parkers, a few mom and daughter who attend the identical Los Angeles school, ran for 5 seasons on the now-defunct community UPN from 1999 to 2004. Since its cancellation, the sitcom has been syndicated on a number of networks. Most not too long ago, the sequence was dropped at Netflix in 2020 with different UPN reveals.
In line with the go well with, Mo’Nique found the alleged breach of contract after she filed one other current go well with, presumably the one in opposition to Netflix. In 2018, the Treasured star filed a discrimination lawsuit in opposition to Netflix for partaking in “dangerous religion negotiations” after the streamer supplied her $500,000 for a comedy particular. Along with the go well with, she known as on the general public to boycott Netflix.
The events ultimately reached an out-of-court settlement in 2022. And on April 4, the comic launched a standup particular on the platform known as My Identify is Mo’Nique.
David DeRubertis, an lawyer who additionally represented Mo’Nique within the Netflix go well with, stated about this newest lawsuit, “Mo’Nique is just not shy about taking over these David vs. Goliath battles in Hollywood to problem these questionable practices which might be endemic to the business.”
In an announcement, the comic added, “I simply need the contractual compensation that I’ve earned.”