"Isn't she exhausted yet" — Internet reacts as Mo'Nique addresses her response to Tyler Perry's tribute to Angie Stone
Comedian Mo'Nique (real name Monique Angela Hicks) recently addressed her criticism of Tyler Perry's tribute to Angie Stone. In his speech at Stone's Celebration of Life Service on March 14, 2025, Perry called out the mistreatment she faced in the industry.
In response, Hicks took to her Instagram to point out the "unsettling discrepancies" in and hypocrisy of his remarks. In her interview with YouTube's Red Grant in the Morning, posted on Monday, March 24, 2025, Mo'Nique elaborated on her reasoning, saying:
"Angie stone was a warrior. Angie stone was a fighter baby. And to watch that man up there be hypocritical over top of my sister? No sir, you cannot do that."
Mo'Nique continued to add that she thought Tyler Perry was a "wolf in sheep's clothing," noting that whenever the director did a good deed like charity, he made sure the world "kn(ew) about it."
As the interview went viral, internet users were quick to react. One user wrote:
"Isn't she exhausted yet... at some point, you have to move on and let the universe do its part."
Some came to Mo'Nique's defense, noting that she had a right to defend herself. Others urged the comedian to let go.
Meanwhile, many commented in favor of Perry, even stating that Mo'Nique's timing was off.
"Shouldn't you be held accountable too?" — Mo'Nique called out Tyler Perry for criticizing Angie Stone's mistreatment while doing the same to her
Angie Stone passed away on March 1, 2025, in a car accident near Montgomery, Alabama, while traveling with her band members. To honor the late soul singer, a celebration of life service was held on March 14, 2025, in Austell, Georgia, followed by a funeral the next day in her hometown of Columbia, South Carolina.
During the service, Tyler Perry gave a speech in her honor. He praised Stone's talent, adding that she didn't always receive due recognition. Citing his speech, WIS 10 wrote:
"All of those years, all of those songs, all of that money that was due to her, where is it?"
According to a report by Vibe, the director criticized promoters and record labels for not compensating the songstress. Calling out younger musicians who forget those who "paved the way" for them, he stated:
"Women like Angie Stone who’s been in the business all these years, you’re gonna forget about what she did? All of the people that she put on and helped? See, you got to go through something to write a song like ’20 Dollars."
Mo'Nique addressed Tyler Perry's remarks in an "open letter" shared on Instagram on March 18, 2025. She began her "open letter" by first expressing her condolences to Angie Stone's family. She added that the singer's fight "inspired (Hicks and her husband)" to write the letter.
She claimed that she found "unsettling discrepancies" between Perry's speech and his previous treatment of her. The comedian subtly called him a hypocrite for criticizing Angie's "mistreatment" but doing the same to her.
She mentioned the time Tyler Perry called her "difficult to work with" despite never having worked with her. Mo'Nique questioned him about the public apology that he owed her.
While she didn't elaborate on the incident, she noted that it took place in 2016. She added that the alleged "false narrative" that the director perpetuated got her "blackball(ed)," costing her millions of dollars.
In a separate point, she called out Tyler Perry's "double standards" for asking her to promote the film Precious (2009) for free. Notably, Perry was the executive producer. Mo'Nique wrote:
"Unlike the music industry, which you rightly criticized, we have audio documentation of your actions. Shouldn’t you be held accountable too?"
She ended her post, asking Perry to "correct (his) wrongs," noting that she awaited his response.
It is worth noting that the friction between Mo'Nique and Tyler Perry began while promoting their film, Precious. According to Hot New Hip Hop, the producer asked her to appear in promotional interviews and talk shows, which she accepted.
However, they reportedly wanted her to attend the Cannes Film Festival as part of the press tour. Per the outlet, the Original Queens of Comedy star refused to fly out to France as the appearance would be unpaid. According to HNHH, it was reportedly not part of her original contract.
At the time, she issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter expressing her frustration, adding that she was not "obligated" to "go anywhere" as she had "done (her) part." Per HNHH, the comedian claimed that her career had suffered as a result of her feud with the producers, including Tyler Perry. Further, the filmmaker has also allegedly refused to apologize.
In addition, Tyler Perry has not publicly commented on the comedian's letter.