I got labeled as difficult just for saying one word: “no.” And I said no to some very powerful people—Tyler Perry, Lee Daniels, Oprah Winfrey, and Lionsgate. When you don’t play by their rules, they take your livelihood. I haven’t seen a raise since “Proud Mary” and almost had to walk away from “The Color Purple.” Yes, you heard that right. Who said what? Yes, ma’am. Because if I don’t take a stand, how am I making it easier for Fantasia, Danielle, Halle, and Felicia? Why am I doing this if it’s only for me?
So, grab your tea because it looks like some folks are about to spill the beans on Oprah Winfrey and how she allegedly manipulates Black women in the industry. This drama kicked off when Taj accused Oprah of lowballing her for “The Color Purple.” Then, things escalated when Mo’Nique chimed in, not only backing Taj but also making some shocking claims of her own. She said Oprah ruined her career and even turned her family against her.
It seems Oprah might not be who we think she is because these new allegations are a whole new level of messy. I’ve been saying for a while that we’re starting to see the dark side of Hollywood, and the big names are getting exposed one by one. Well, it looks like Oprah is next. We’ve been hearing a lot about Diddy recently, which has shattered his public image. Now, Oprah might be in the same boat, as more people from the industry come forward to accuse her of mistreating fellow Black women.
In case you haven’t been following this Hollywood drama, rumors have been circulating for years about how Oprah isn’t who she appears to be. Some intense stories suggest that Hollywood big shots have been using her to control other Black celebrities, keeping them in check and under the industry’s thumb.
Taj P. Henson is confirming the stories making rounds. Recently, she called out Oprah, accusing her of trying to mess with her career. In a revealing interview, Taj shared that the industry isn’t as glamorous as it seems. Despite her talent, she’s still being seriously underpaid, not earning nearly as much as people think. She mentioned that she’s been stuck in the same pay grade since 2018, and it’s not just big corporations at fault—Oprah did it to her too. Taj almost had to turn down her role in the Oprah-produced movie ‘The Color Purple’ because they were lowballing her and not willing to pay her what she deserves.
“I haven’t seen a raise in my income since ‘Proud Mary’ and almost had to walk away from ‘The Color Purple,'” Taj said. “If I don’t take a stand, how am I making it easier for Fantasia, Danielle, Halle, and Felicia? Why am I doing this if it’s all just for me?”
It’s baffling. Imagine being stuck in the same pay grade for five years when everyone knows you’re one of the most talented in the business. It’s downright frustrating. In her interview with Gayle King, Taj stood firm on her claims and admitted she was seriously contemplating leaving the industry because the pay wasn’t cutting it, especially compared to what white actors are earning.
“I’m tired of working so hard, being great at what I do, and getting paid a fraction of what I deserve. I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. People say, ‘You work a lot, yes?’ I have to. The math doesn’t add up.”
What’s wild about this? It’s not a one-time thing. Black actresses have been calling out discrimination in the industry for ages. It’s a constant struggle, and they’re getting paid peanuts compared to their white counterparts. Viola Davis has also shed light on this issue, revealing that she too is only getting a fraction of what she deserves, even when producers know she should be making much more. Solidarity with them is crucial.
Okay? Look at what they’re getting paid—half of what a man gets paid. And we, well, we probably get a tenth of what a Caucasian woman makes. And I’m number one on the call sheet. I have to hustle for my worth. Compare me to you because I’ve got the Oscar, the Emmy, and the two Tonys. I’ve done Broadway, off-Broadway, TV, and film. My career is comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Sigourney Weaver. They all came out of Yale, Juilliard, or NYU, just like me. Yet, I’m nowhere near them in terms of money or job opportunities. I constantly have to fight for my worth.
People say, “You’re a black Meryl Streep. We love you. There is no one like you.” Okay, then. If there’s no one like me, pay me what I’m worth. If Viola Davis, one of the greatest actresses of our generation, who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, is still struggling at this point in her career, it shouldn’t be happening. She’s still dealing with it. This means what Taj is saying is even worse than she describes. Many black women in the industry, like Gabrielle Union and Kiki Palmer, have said the same thing.
It’s even more disturbing that Oprah, a black woman, would do the same thing to her own people. Oprah, who knows these struggles firsthand, is accused of doing the same thing to another woman. Oprah is a billionaire, so why lowball Taj? This isn’t Oprah’s first time being accused of lowballing black women. She allegedly did the same with Monique after their collaboration on ‘Precious.’
Let’s rewind to 2009 when Monique starred in ‘Precious,’ produced by Oprah and Tyler Perry. The movie was a big success. To capitalize on this, Oprah and Tyler had Monique and the rest of the cast do an international press run to generate more publicity for the movie.
Press runs are a standard practice in the industry to boost movies and create media buzz. However, Monique was told she wouldn’t be paid for her efforts. She was expected to work for free, dress up, get her hair and makeup done, and even cover some expenses out of her own pocket, which is not standard practice.
It’s astonishing that Oprah and Tyler, both millionaires, expected Monique to pay out of pocket to promote a movie they profited from. The situation didn’t add up for Monique, so she refused to work for free. This reportedly enraged Oprah, who then allegedly sought to have Monique blacklisted from the industry.
While Oprah couldn’t legally force Monique to work for free, she could make her life difficult, and that’s what she allegedly did. According to Monique, media outlets started publishing stories about her being a diva with a bad attitude, making her seem difficult to work with.
Although Oprah never directly accused Monique of these traits, she implied it in an interview when asked about the situation. She said, “It’s impossible. It’s a law that if you meet negative with negative, you will just have a combustive negative force of energy. You can’t meet negative energy where it is. You have to rise above it. You have to transcend it. You have to be the light. It only takes a little bit of light to banish the darkness. It takes a lot of darkness to overcome the light. It takes just a little bit of light. And we are warriors of the light. I would never stoop to try to meet somebody where they are negatively.”
Oprah didn’t just throw shade at Mo’Nique—she went all out and got others involved. She allegedly strong-armed people in the industry, threatening their careers if they didn’t cut ties with Mo’Nique. Take Steve Harvey, for example. Mo’Nique revealed that he had privately supported her, but Oprah’s influence made it worse. Reportedly, Oprah also took personal jabs at Mo’Nique, hitting below the belt.
To understand the depth of the issue, remember that Mo’Nique has been open about being sexually abused by her brother as a child. She’s talked about it in interviews, sharing that when she confronted her brother and told her parents, they didn’t believe her, which strained her family relationships. Despite knowing this, Oprah invited Mo’Nique and her brother to her show to discuss it publicly. When Mo’Nique declined, Oprah went ahead and invited her brother and parents anyway to talk about the abuse.
On the show, Mo’Nique’s brother admitted, “I did inappropriately touch my sister in ways that were not comfortable for her. And for that, I apologize.” However, Mo’Nique later told Barbara Walters that she never received a genuine apology from her brother, who said, “If you think I did something wrong, then I’m sorry.”
Oprah’s actions towards Mo’Nique were seen as questionable and harsh, adding another layer of complexity to their feud.
According to Monique, Oprah’s move was meant to humiliate her. Monique had confided in Oprah about the strained relationship with her mother and how they weren’t speaking. Oprah never mentioned that her mother would be on the show. If she had, Monique would have shut it down to avoid revealing her mother’s greed to the world. Monique isn’t a fan of Oprah, which is why she’s teaming up with Taj to expose her.
After Taj’s interview, fans noticed tension between her and Oprah at a public event promoting The Color Purple. Did you catch that moment when Taj seemed on the verge of tears? And when Oprah dodged her as she tried to cozy up for a picture? It got even weirder when Oprah made a swift exit as others joined in for photos. Something was definitely up between them. Word on the street is that Oprah went off on Taj for making her look bad by airing grievances about the small paycheck she received for the movie. This led to Oprah catching major heat on social media, with people dragging her through the mud.
Soon after, Taj took to Instagram to defend Oprah, posting a picture of them from the same event where Oprah had acted weird. She wrote, “It is so important for Black women and all women of color to support each other. It is also imperative to have women of color in decision-making positions across all industries. Miss Oprah has been nothing less than a steady and solid beacon of light to all the cast of The Color Purple. She has provided encouragement, guidance, and unwavering support to us all.”
She told me personally to reach out to her for anything I needed, and I did. It took one call, one conversation, and one decisive woman to make me feel heard. Thank you, Miss Oprah, for all that you do. But let’s be real—everyone saw through that post. It was a big BS move made under pressure. Fans commented, “Were you silent or silenced? She’s scared of being blackballed by Oprah like Monique.” I don’t buy it, but I support you, Teraji.
Oprah then did some PR, expressing her admiration for Teraji. She wrote, “I’ve long admired Teraji. She can make you laugh, cry, cheer, and feel everything in between. But I had no idea she could sing. Teraji, the actress, is a force. Teraji, the singer, is a complete revelation. What I love about her portrayal of Shug is that she plays her like a woman who not only sang the blues but lived them. Only Teraji could do that. She shared that her late father once told her, ‘You’re going to be one of the greatest actresses alive. But wait until the world hears you sing, Teraji. The stage is now yours, and I already see the standing ovations for you.'”
Oprah was smart enough to turn off the comments because they would have eaten her alive. This situation is a mess. According to Monique, Oprah has been acting like this for ages. She allegedly lowballs black actresses, and when they try to complain or speak out, she threatens to end their careers and get them blackballed in the industry.
She’s been dealing with this for ages, and Monique has finally had enough of Oprah getting away with it. She’s determined to hold Oprah accountable for her behavior once and for all. Naturally, the streets are buzzing about it, and fans are leaving supportive comments for Taj and Monique. One fan said, “I respect Monique for risking everything to stand up to two of the biggest names in our community, Oprah and Tyler Perry. She lost it all, stayed true to herself, and got it all back. No one in Hollywood supported these allegations, but everyone believed them anyway. The truth is, Oprah isn’t broke, and you’re telling me Taj and Fantasia almost walked away because they were being lowballed? Monique tried to warn us, and people called her crazy. Oprah is a sinister person. She did the same thing to Monique. I’m just waiting for all the details to come out. This drama is wild. Let me know how you feel about Monique exposing Oprah like this. Do you think Oprah will ever face consequences? Share your thoughts in the comments below