Where does this want me to get in a dress with him? I’m literally saying to everybody, “Why is he in a dress again? You already played the old lady as an FBI agent. We can play anything now. Take the vertebrae out of your back just to fit inside of someone’s ceiling. You have to stand up full and proud. Stand up erect, you know what I mean?”
It seems like it’s the era of black artists stepping up to call out the industry, and Terrence Howard, Maine, is the latest to join the ranks. Taking a page from Cat Williams and Dave Chappelle, Terrence recently spoke out about the industry’s push for black men to dial down their masculinity and embrace a more effeminate image. Terrence didn’t mince words, and he went all out, dragging numerous producers for their attempts to coerce black men into wearing dresses when it served absolutely no purpose. In a no-holds-barred expose, he laid bare a disturbing agenda aimed at undermining black men. According to Terrence, this sinister scheme was the driving force behind his decision to step away from the industry.
Maine didn’t shy away from spilling some scalding hot tea about this whole thing just being a messed-up agenda. “That’s not true either. That’s the stuff you’ve got to watch. See, that’s why you got to clear this stuff up. You’ve got to watch the stuff that they put out there, you know, ’cause they’re just trying to make money.”
Okay, so there’s this growing trend where more and more black men are stepping up to spill their truth on the industry and exposing all the sketchy stuff happening behind the scenes. It’s not exactly a new trend, as we’ve had a few brave souls in the past that tried to shed light on how the industry attempted to emasculate black men. Now, sadly, not many people paid attention back then, and those who did often dismissed these men as cloud chasers. But things seem to be shifting a bit now.
Terrence Howard is back in the news, and this time people are paying attention. Howard claims he left Hollywood and retired from acting because the industry pressured him to wear dresses, stripping away his masculinity. When he refused, rumors started swirling that he was difficult to work with—a familiar tactic used when trying to blackball an actor. It’s important to acknowledge that Howard isn’t without fault; his personal life has often overshadowed his career.
Back in 2010, Howard faced serious allegations for physically assaulting his first wife. This wasn’t an isolated incident. In 2011, his second wife, Michelle Ghent, secured a restraining order against him, citing domestic violence. Howard didn’t deny these accusations; in fact, he openly admitted in interviews to hitting his second wife in front of their children, saying, “She was talking to me real strong, and I lost my mind and slapped her in front of the kids.” Despite these controversies, his career continued to thrive, including his lead role in the popular show “Empire” as Lucious Lyon.
Then, in December 2022, Howard surprised everyone by announcing his retirement, despite still landing significant roles. His explanation? The industry’s demands, such as wearing dresses, were too much for him. Even after ending his retirement, Howard remains vocal about what he sees as the industry’s attempts to emasculate black men.
This isn’t a new accusation. Dave Chappelle has been vocal for years about the industry’s efforts to feminize black men by coercing them into wearing dresses for scenes that add no value to the plot. Chappelle’s resistance led to notable conflicts, especially with Comedy Central, and he even revealed on Oprah’s show that he turned down a $50 million deal because of this pressure.
Chappelle recounted an incident on set with Martin Lawrence where he was asked to wear a dress for a scene. He refused, arguing it was unnecessary for the plot. Despite discussing his discomfort with the producers, they labeled him difficult instead of finding a compromise. This sheds light on the power dynamics in the entertainment industry and the struggles faced by those who resist.
There should have been a discussion. “What, you don’t feel comfortable with it? I mean, it’s a hilarious bit. All the greats have done it.” Then I could say, “Well, all the greats have done it. It’s kind of hacky, right? You’re right. So why don’t we just not do it, ’cause I don’t feel comfortable wearing a dress?” And they’d say, “Oh, come on, Dave, listen, we got it all set up, we’re supposed to shoot, every minute you waste costs this much money.” You know, the pressure comes in, and I’m like, “Nah, I’m not wearing a dress, man. I’m funnier than a dress. Just give me something funny to say. I don’t need to wear a dress to be funny. What am I, Milton Berle or something?” We’d go back and forth, and then finally he’s like, “Ah,” and he leaves. Then the director comes. “Dave, it really would be great if you wear the dress.” “What is wrong? What is this, Brokeback Mountain in here?” They’d say, “Wear the dress.” “I don’t want to wear this dress. You know what I mean?” “Oh, gosh, guys, it’s so difficult.” They leave, and then the producer comes. “Come on, David, it would be so great.” I mean, and then I started thinking about it. All the comics that I’ve seen, man, you know, strong brothers. Why are we putting us in these dresses?”
But if there’s one thing you need to know about Mr. Dave Chappelle, it’s that he doesn’t budge easily. He stood firm, making it clear to the producers that he wasn’t caving in to the dress-wearing pressure. And guess what? His stubbornness paid off because eventually, the producers had to give up because Dave wasn’t about to be swayed into something he vehemently declined. Here’s where it gets interesting. Turns out they had a plan B all along. Dave revealed that there was an alternative version of the script quietly waiting just in case he refused to wear the dress. This proves his point that the scene and the whole dress ordeal were pointless and unnecessary for the movie. So why did they keep pressuring him for so long when they already had a backup plan? It definitely raised some eyebrows. If there was a perfectly good script that didn’t involve Dave wearing a dress, why the relentless pressure? It’s kind of weird and makes you wonder if there was some hidden agenda.
“It was clear. I was adamant. I’m not wearing a dress. I’m not wearing the dress. ‘All right, fine. Think of something else.’ They come back 10 minutes later with a whole new scene. ‘How did you write the scene so fast?’ So you got to take a stand.”
Dave wasn’t the only one speaking out. Kevin Hart also hinted that being pressured into wearing dresses was common in Hollywood. While he didn’t outright refuse to wear a dress, Kevin suggested that the industry pressure was nudging him in that direction.
“Another great comedian said that, in the industry, they tried to make him wear a dress. Have you ever run into that with scripts? Is that something you wouldn’t do?”
“I definitely have run into, ‘Put on the dress.’ You have to have boundaries. You have to have limits that you refuse to cross.”
Fast forward a couple of years, and Kevin Hart appeared in an SNL skit in a dress. Fans speculated that he might have made a deal with Hollywood by wearing the dress. The speculation gained momentum, especially since Kevin’s career skyrocketed after that, scoring major roles and lucrative deals with Netflix. “The new Pope is 9-year-old Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis.” Wow. I don’t think anyone saw this coming.
Enter Cat Williams, who joined the conversation during an interview meant to promote his film “Scary Movie 5.” As the discussion turned to the role of black men in the industry, the topic of Kevin Hart’s dress-wearing stint on SNL came up. When he was asked about the backlash Kevin received for wearing the dress, Cat had a lot to say.
Kevin Hart doesn’t need to worry about the backlash for wearing a dress; many men have done it before him. We’ve seen “Big Mama’s House” one, two, and three. Madea never wore a pantsuit; she always wore dresses. So, why pick on Kevin Hart? It was just his turn.
Cat Williams has talked about the pressure on men to wear dresses before, including in his memorable interview on the Club Shay Shay podcast. He claimed that black men face this pressure more often than people realize and are offered big money for these roles. Williams himself turned down $50 million offers to maintain his integrity.
“To protect my integrity and that ‘virgin hole’ I talked about, right? Because P. Diddy likes to party, and you’ve got to say no,” he said. “I have the receipts for everything I’m telling you. That’s why I can speak freely.”
Williams also mentioned how other actors weren’t as steadfast, even name-dropping a few who accepted these roles. He recalled promising Martin Lawrence to star in a movie together, only to be presented with “Big Mama’s House 2.” Frustrated, he suggested they cast Brandon T. Jackson instead, which they did.
Terrence Howard echoed Williams’ sentiments, asserting that there’s an agenda to emasculate black men in Hollywood. Fans were excited for Howard to reprise his role as James Rhodes in “Iron Man 2,” but Don Cheadle replaced him. Rumors blamed Howard’s temper, but he clarified that he stood firm on his principles, refusing to be emasculated.
“My daddy taught me, never take the vertebrae out your back or the bass out your throat. I ain’t raising sheep; I raised men. Stay a man. Being a man comes with a curse because it’s not a society made for men to flourish anymore,” Howard said. “Everything is androgynous. The more successful men now are effeminate.”
Howard continued, asserting a secret plot to feminize black men as they’re seen as a threat. “Both men are made to be effeminate and not have this power or sense of strength. They allow white men to be strong, but when it’s a black man, it’s seen as a threat.”
He concluded, “I don’t want to remove a few chromosomes to fit in someone’s story. They need to expand their stories to allow men to be men and simultaneously appreciate a woman’s beauty.”
Fans have shown strong support for Cat Williams and Terrence Howard, leaving comments like, “I am 100% behind Cat Williams and Terrence Howard. There is an agenda, and it’s deeper than many realize. It’s awesome to see them standing up for what’s right. A person should be able to say no without being ostracized. Terrence Howard and Cat Williams are real ones, no doubt.”