Mo'Nique & Netflix Settle Gender & Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Mo’Nique has settled her discrimination lawsuit against Netflix.

The 54-year-old comedian originally filed the suit in the fall of 2019, alleging that the company discriminated against her when they offered her just $500,000 for a comedy special.

THR writes that both parties moved to dismiss the lawsuit on Tuesday (June 14), according to a court filming.

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The complaint states that Netflix had courted Mo’Nique for a comedy special in 2017, with negotiations stalling after the Oscar-winning actress rejected the streamer’s opening offer of $500,000.

She protested the offer, which was for a one-hour show that Netflix would retain complete control over, as discriminatory. It was at that point that Netflix walked away from the negotiations.

Mo’Nique went on to sue Netflix for refusing to come back after the opening offer, accusing the company of routinely underpaying Black women and comparing their offer to the eight-figure deals received by Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Amy Schumer.

“The offer made to Mo’Nique was merely an ‘opening offer’ from which there was an expectation – both by Netflix and Mo’Nique – of continued negotiations likely leading to increased compensation being offered to Mo’Nique,” read the complaint. “Once Mo’Nique engaged in protected conduct by protesting the discriminatory offer, Netflix shut down any further negotiations and refused to negotiate in good-faith consistent with its standard practices.”

“I couldn’t accept that low offer because if I did … I couldn’t sleep at night,” she said in a statement at the time. “If I accepted $500,000, what does Tiffany Haddish have coming? If I accept that, what does the Black female comedian have coming? Because what they’ll say is, ‘Mo’Nique accepted this and she’s got that.’ So what do they have coming?”

Netflix responded in a statement of their own, “We believe our opening offer to Mo’Nique was fair – which is why we will be fighting this lawsuit.” The company also said that there was no legal authority to support the claim that a refusal to negotiate constituted discrimination.

However, the federal judge overseeing the case found that Mo’Nique‘s belief that Netflix’s failure to negotiate, which would normally lead to a more lucrative deal, constitutes an “adverse employment action for purposes of a retaliation claim.”

“At the very least, Mo’Nique’s allegations permit the plausible inference that, had she not challenged her offer as discriminatory, Netflix would have continued negotiating in good faith with her and increased her offer, consistent with its customary practice in dealing with talent in the entertainment industry,” the judge said.

Michael Parks, a rep for Mo’Nique, said that, “The matter has been amicably resolved.”

In case you missed it, there was some exciting casting news announced for Mo’Nique earlier this year.