Mo’Nique Files Lawsuit Against CBS/Paramount For Withholding “Tens Of Millions” In Unpaid ‘The Parkers’ Royalties
Mo’Nique filed a lawsuit against CBS/Paramount for breach of contract, claiming they withheld “tens of millions” of dollars in royalties from
The Parkers that she is “contractually” owed.
“I just want the contractual compensation that I’ve earned,” Mo’Nique said in a statement. The lawsuit was filed through the production company that she co-owns with her husband and business partner Sidney Hicks, Hicks Media Inc.
The lawsuit alleges that Mo’Nique’s profits from the show suffered due to CBS/Paramount’s failure to calculate added revenue earned from licensing deals and their displayed tendency of “underreporting or overinflating” costs.
The lawsuit explains that the writers and creators of
The Parkers performed an independent audit that “strongly suggested that [CBS and Paramount] have inequitably structured the Series’ finances to artificially depress its profitability and retain millions that would otherwise be contractually due and owing to Plaintiff.” Among other things, the audit found multiple instances of costs being incorrectly deducted from the show’s profits. The lawsuit also alleges CBS did not provide some of the documents needed for the auditing firm to properly carry out the investigation.
The Parkers, which was a spinoff series of the hit sitcom
Moesha, aired for six seasons from 1999-2004 on UPN. Mo’Nique won three NAACP Awards for her performance as Nikki Parker, a mother who attends college in Santa Monica with her daughter, played by comedian Countess Vaughn.
“The amount of money this has generated is astronomical, and Mo’Nique can’t sit back and be treated unfairly while others profit and withhold money off of her image,” said co-counsel Michael W. Parks. “Mo’Nique strongly dislikes that rather than being paid what she is fairly owed, she has to file litigation. However, if this is what’s needed to receive fair compensation, then this is what has to be done.”
She seeks monetary damages, attorneys’ fees, and for an accounting to be conducted under court supervision of the series’ profits.
The attorney’s statement also references the settlement the series’ creators and executive producers reached when they filed a similar lawsuit in 2022 against CBS, Paramount, and the show’s production company.
The Oscar-winning actress has been vocal about being treated unfairly in the industry after forging a successful, decades-long career in comedy. In 2022, she reached a
settlement with Netflix after suing the streamer for racial and sexual discrimination over the $500,000 offer they made for her comedy special shortly after reaching multi-million-dollar deals with
Chris Rock and
Dave Chappelle.
Despite it all, Mo’Nique made her
“triumphant” Netflix debut that same month with her comedy special
My Name Is Mo’Nique.
“Mo’Nique is not shy about taking on these David vs. Goliath battles in Hollywood to challenge these questionable practices that are endemic to the industry,” her attorney David deRubertis said in a statement.
The actress is now set to appear in
Lee Daniels’ next feature film,
The Deliverance.
The two had their own feud until Daniels
publicly apologized to his longtime friend.
