LEE DANIELS - PRECIOUS DIRECTOR DEFENDS MO'NIQUE

PRECIOUS DIRECTOR DEFENDS MO'NIQUE

Director LEE DANIELS has leaped to the defence of his PRECIOUS movie star MO'NIQUE, amid rumours the comedienne has refused to promote the OPRAH WINFREY-produced film without compensation.
The movie, which also features Mariah Carey, is a gritty drama produced by talk show host Winfrey and media mogul Tyler Perry.
Mo'Nique's absence at the New York Film Festival premiere of the film on Saturday night (02Oct09) fuelled rumours of a rift between the star and executives at Lionsgate.
Reports last month (Sep09) suggested she was denied a $100,000 (£66,670) appearance fee after abandoning promotional duties at the Toronto Film Festival when her money demands were not met.
A source tells the New York Daily News, "That money didn't even include hair and makeup costs. She also demanded that her glam squad fly first class. Apparently, she's ignorant as to how the Hollywood system works... Because Oprah and Tyler Perry are backing the film, she feels as though there should be a budget to pay for her promotional duties."
However, Daniels has hit back at the claims.
He says, "Mo'Nique is not a diva. She puts her soul into whatever she does. I love her very much."