Mo'nique Asks Husband To Defend Her Honour At Critics Choice Awards

PRECIOUS star MO'NIQUE's business manager/husband stepped up to defend his wife backstage at the Critics Choice Movie Awards in Hollywood on Friday (15Jan10), after she was quizzed about failing to show up and support the film at a series of festivals and awards shows.

The comedienne, who picked up a Best Supporting Actress prize at the event for her portrayal of mother-from-hell Mary Jones, was backstage chatting to the media when one journalist asked her to explain why she snubbed a series of events, including the Toronto Film Festival, New York Film Festival and New York Film Critics Awards.

Mo'Nique called her husband Sidney Hicks to the press room stage to answer the question on her behalf.

He calmly told the media, "She's the first woman of African-American descent to ever have a late-night TV show, she's also a comedienne... In conjunction with that, she's a mother, she's also a wife.

"She hasn't been at all of them, but she has been at some... She'd rather portray a bad mother in the movies than actually be one in real life."

According to GoldDerby.com blogger Tom O'Neil, Precious director Lee Daniels promised to accept her New York Film Critics Circle Awards gong when she was a no-show, but then backed out.

The incident prompted movie experts to suggest Daniels and Mo'Nique had fallen out over her decision not to attend, but the comedienne/actress paid tribute to her director during Friday night's awards show.

In her acceptance speech, she called Daniels "one of the most brilliant directors and visionaries of our time," adding, "Lee Daniels, you are absolutely brilliant."