Netflix has responded to comedian Mo’Nique’s recent discrimination lawsuit against the streaming giant, saying the company did offer the Oscar winner her worth during 2017 negotiations for a stand-up special.
“We care deeply about inclusion, equity and diversity and take any accusations of discrimination very seriously,” said a Netflix spokesperson in a statement. “We believe our opening offer to Mo’Nique was fair — which is why we will be fighting this lawsuit.”
According to NBC News, the “Precious” star accused Netflix of offering her a “biased, discriminatory” deal of $500,000, while her male and white female peers received multimillion-dollar checks for similar comedy specials.
“When the talent was not a Black woman, Netflix offered to pay, and did pay, astronomically more than it pays to Black women like it offered to Mo’Nique,” the lawsuit reads (via NBC News). “Netflix reportedly offered or paid Rock, Chapelle, [Ellen] Degeneres, and [Ricky] Gervais forty (40) times more per show than it offered Mo’Nique, and it offered Schumer twenty-six (26) times more per show than Mo’Nique. In short, Netflix’s offer to Mo’Nique perpetuates the drastic wage gap forced upon Black women in America’s workforce.”