Cat Williams recently delivered a scathing critique of Tyler Perry, accusing him of being a puppet for Oprah Winfrey’s alleged agenda to undermine black entertainers in Hollywood. Known for his fearlessness in confronting bigwig executives, Cat’s outspokenness sent shockwaves across the internet. According to him, Oprah has long been orchestrating the downfall of black figures in the industry, with Tyler serving as her willing accomplice. This isn’t the first time Tyler and Oprah have faced such accusations; 50 Cent, Ludacris, Dave Chappelle, and Mo’Nique have also publicly criticized them for similar reasons in the past.
Eight years ago, I starred in a movie titled “Precious,” and for that project, I was compensated $50,000, which was within the terms I agreed to. However, I was unjustly labeled as difficult for simply expressing one word: “no.” I declined offers from Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Lee Daniels, and Lionsgate. While privately acknowledging my stance, none of these individuals publicly supported me, failing to stand up for their sister in the industry. When asked if my call for a boycott was extreme, I affirmed it was, but so is the pervasive inequality we face. We need to reach a point where individuals like Kevin Hart aren’t scrutinized for their choices, unlike those who’ve come before him who wore dresses on screen without similar backlash. Let’s consider the multitude of films like “Big Mama’s House” series; however, I’ve yet to witness the same scrutiny applied to male actors in traditional attire.
If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you’ve probably caught wind of the buzz surrounding Oprah and Tyler Perry allegedly lowballing and blacklisting several black entertainers. It all kicked off when Taraji P. Henson publicly criticized Oprah for paying her less than she deserved for her role in “The Color Purple.”
“Where’s my pay increase? My earnings haven’t gone up since ‘Proud Mary,’ and I almost had to turn down ‘The Color Purple.'”
However, numerous individuals were swift to highlight that this wasn’t the inaugural instance of Oprah facing such accusations. Many argued that she had frequently utilized Tyler as a means to undermine the careers of numerous Hollywood figures. Among the earliest to confront her was Mo’Nique. Mo’Nique publicly revealed Oprah and Tyler Perry’s role in blacklisting her and causing her to lose several job opportunities after she declined to participate in promotional activities for the film “Precious,” a project co-produced by Tyler and Oprah and directed by Lee Daniels. Mo’Nique asserted that she was compensated a mere $50,000 for her significant role in the film, an amount she deemed insufficient given the film’s subsequent blockbuster success. Despite this, Oprah and Tyler audaciously insisted that she undertake unpaid promotional duties. Mo’Nique retaliated by refusing to engage in these activities without proper compensation, arguing that such obligations were not outlined in her contract. In response, Tyler and Oprah initiated a campaign to tarnish her reputation, inundating tabloids with allegations of her being difficult to work with, thereby dissuading potential collaborators from engaging with her.
“I want to clarify the sequence of events. When Mr. Daniels mentioned these demands, it caught me off guard. I found myself urging the screen, ‘Don, please ask him what these demands were.'”
“In reality, there were no demands. The movie studio made a request for me to attend the Cannes Film Festival in France. I politely declined because, at the time, I was committed to ‘The Mo’Nique Show,’ a comedy tour, and various award season engagements. Moreover, I’m a wife and a mother, and I cherished the opportunity to spend some downtime with my family. When we declined the offer, the studio called back, expressing their inability to pay for my attendance. We had no issue with that. However, that’s when rumors started circulating that I was being demanding and difficult.”
“They made a request, and we simply made a counter-request. When they couldn’t accommodate it, we understood and left it at that.”
Adding insult to injury, Oprah decided to interview Mo’Nique’s brother, who she had accused of abusing her during her childhood. Mo’Nique had been clear that she was not in contact with her family, especially after they initially sided with her brother when she disclosed his actions. Mo’Nique shared, “Oprah Winfrey called us and said, ‘My brother wants to talk about his past actions and help other parents identify potential abusers. He’s changed.’ I hesitated but thought maybe people can change, so I declined to be involved.” Despite Mo’Nique’s reservations, Oprah respected her feelings and offered to cancel the show if Mo’Nique objected to her brother’s appearance. Reflecting on the incident, Mo’Nique expressed appreciation for Oprah’s consideration, acknowledging that she didn’t have to involve her in the decision-making process.
Mo’Nique made it abundantly clear that she was fine with her brother appearing on the show as long as her name wasn’t brought up. However, Oprah chose to disregard these requests entirely. Not only did she bring Mo’Nique’s brother onto the show, but she also included her entire family, making the entire interview focus on Mo’Nique.
“Including my brother, mother, father, and another sibling. The significance lies in our conversation about my brother, which led us to delve deeper into our relationships with our parents. We shared intimate details about our mothers and fathers. Although I won’t divulge what she shared with me about her parents, as it may have been exclusive, it was a moment of connection. I confided in her about my strained relationship with my mother, expressing my hurt and confusion. Had Oprah mentioned that my mother would be on the show, I would have objected, fearing exposure of her greediness. This is one of the reasons why our communication is strained.”
Despite the harm caused by Oprah’s actions, she never offered a public or private apology to Mo’Nique. When questioned about Mo’Nique’s remarks in an interview, Oprah evaded the topic and drifted into unrelated discussions, essentially avoiding addressing the issue.
I also noticed your commitment to taking the high road in various situations. Even when faced with negativity directed at you, such as recent remarks from figures like Trump or Mo’Nique in the media, why do you persist in following this path? Why not confront it directly? Well, the truth is, engaging with negativity only fuels its fire. It’s like a universal law: responding negatively only adds to the destructive energy. Instead, we must rise above it, transcend it, and become beacons of light. Even a small amount of light can dispel darkness. While darkness may try to overshadow light, we, as warriors of illumination, refuse to succumb to negativity. I choose not to engage in negativity, regardless of who it’s coming from. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this perspective.
And then there was 50, who also accused Oprah of being opposed to hip-hop, particularly his genre of music, and went as far as likening her to an Oreo, suggesting she was black on the outside but white on the inside. This came after she barred him from ever appearing on her show.
“I believe she caters primarily to older white women. She vehemently opposed the themes in my music, so I knew I’d never grace her show. It’s a milestone of success, being denied a spot there. So, if we can’t be allies, we’ll be adversaries.”
Around the same time, Ludacris also called out Oprah, claiming she threw him under the bus during his appearance on her show to promote his film “Crash,” alongside his fellow cast members. Instead of focusing on the movie, Oprah barely delved into it and continuously pressed him about his use of the n-word in his music.
“I was there to discuss ‘Crash,’ the film. Yet, she made comments about not endorsing my music, though she praised my performance in the movie. I was among the entire ‘Crash’ cast, so it felt unnecessary. Disagree with certain songs if you must, but don’t condemn my entire body of work.”
She proceeded to selectively edit Ludacris’ response, aiming to portray him unfavorably on television.
“She had her say, and then I had my rebuttal. But when I watched the final show, her remarks were there, while mine were omitted. It seemed as though I just took it without responding.”
In another instance, Dave Chappelle made an appearance on Oprah’s show following his widely publicized fallout with Comedy Central. He discussed his decision to walk away from a lucrative $50 million deal and escape to South Africa, without informing his wife and children.
“So, you just got up and left, and nobody knew where you were going. Did your family have any idea?”
“Well, no. I called my brother. We’re close. I told him, ‘I’m heading to Africa.’ He was supportive. Did your wife and kids know your whereabouts?”
“No, nobody did.”
“Wow, you just disappeared.”
“Well, the circumstances seemed to justify it.”
Dave then revealed a shocking detail about being pressured into wearing a dress while filming a movie with Martin Lawrence.
You know, I tend to see connections where others might not, delving into conspiracy theories to some extent. Take, for example, the pattern I noticed in movies where they’ve got every black male actor donning a dress at some point. It got me thinking, “What’s up with that?” Picture this: I’m on set with Martin, everything’s going smooth until I step into the trailer and spot a dress. Confusion ensues. Turns out, they’ve got this “hilarious” scene planned where Martin’s character sneaks out of jail by dressing me up as a prostitute. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled about it. I mean, who would be? When I voiced my discomfort, they hit me with the classics: “All the greats have done it” and “We’re on a tight schedule.” But I stood my ground. I told them, “I’m funnier than a dress. Just give me some good lines.” And let me tell you, it wasn’t just the dress. They had a backup script ready in case I refused. Talk about pressure. But I held my own. No dress, no compromise.
As soon as it became evident that I was resolute about not wearing a dress, I stood my ground. “Fine,” they relented, “come up with an alternative.” Ten minutes later, a completely new scene emerged. How on earth did they conjure up that scene so swiftly? It’s like, you’ve got to make a stand.
Later, Kevin Hart was asked for his take on Dave’s remarks about the pressure on black men to wear dresses. His response was firm.
“Another esteemed comedian mentioned how the industry tried to dress him up. Have you encountered that with scripts? And is that a line you wouldn’t cross?”
“I’ve definitely encountered it, the dress thing. You’ve got to set boundaries, you know? There are lines you refuse to cross. For me, I know where they are. They’ve yet to be tested, so I won’t elaborate. This morning, I was asked to dribble a basketball on a talk show. Not exactly a dress, but I said no. Ultimately, you have to recognize yourself as a brand. Protecting your brand is key. Anything that could tarnish it must be avoided at all costs.”
But just a few months later, Kevin contradicted himself by appearing in an SNL skit wearing a dress and a lace front wig. The backlash was swift, with accusations of selling out and hypocrisy hurled at him. He addressed the criticism in a lengthy tweet, stating, “I wore the dress on SNL because I found it funny. It was my decision, no one else’s. I am in charge of my own choices.”
Shortly after Kevin’s controversial skit, Cat Williams revealed disturbing information about the pressure on black men in Hollywood to adopt more feminine roles and attire.
“Kevin shouldn’t fret about wearing a dress. There’s a long history of it in Hollywood. We had ‘Big Mama’s House’ one, two, and three. Martin never wore pants, did she? So why single out Kevin?”
Cat’s comments triggered scrutiny of Tyler Perry, with some questioning if he’s merely a pawn of Hollywood elites pushing to feminize black men. This speculation intensified when actor Brandon Jay accused Tyler of coercing him into playing a gay role in “Meet the Browns.”
“My time on ‘Meet the Browns’ was the toughest experience of my life. I didn’t realize Tyler Perry Studios’ schedule was so demanding. Most TV shows take a week per episode. At Perry’s studio, it’s done in a day. I played Jeffrey, a bullied high schooler. I spent days learning lines, only for Perry to rewrite everything on the spot. Then he decides Jeffrey should be gay, crushing my expectations.”
That wasn’t what I signed up for.
Many criticized Tyler Perry, alleging that he pressured Brandon into a role due to his own undisclosed sexuality, projecting it onto the character. However, the controversy didn’t end there. Perry faced further scrutiny when Christian Keys implied he was referring to Perry in a tearful video recounting harassment by a powerful figure in the industry. Though not naming Perry directly, the timing and their extensive history together led many to believe Perry was the subject. This stirred disgust and speculation, with some linking it to longstanding criticisms from figures like Cat Williams.
Williams eventually addressed the issue, condemning Perry and Oprah for allegedly perpetuating stereotypes about black men in Hollywood. He criticized what he saw as the promotion of a “gay agenda,” calling out Perry and Oprah for alleged secrecy. In essence, Perry and Oprah now face demands for transparency and accountability, with many eager for concrete evidence to support or refute these claims.