Mo’Nique has made it clear she does not fear being ‘canceled’ amid the backlash she received after voicing her opinion that Black women need to stop wearing hair bonnets and scarves in public.
The Precious actress shared an Instagram video over the weekend in which she revealed her shock at seeing so many ‘young sistas’ dressed casually while walking through an airport in Mississippi.
Fans had a very mixed response to the Oscar-winning star’s comments, leading her to post a follow-up video to comment on the headlines she made with her suggestions.
In a video titled ‘UNAPOLOGETIC’, the 53-year-old began with an anecdote about the times Patti LaBelle and Margaret Avery gave her some tough love at hard times in her career.
Explaining that she was just trying to give the same advice that ‘Black mamas, aunties and big sisters’ share with the younger generation, Mo’Nique insisted she was just trying to encourage women to be better.
She stated: ‘So for you babies that have taken offense to what I said, I’m okay with that. I’m okay with ya’ll being in your feelings about it, ‘cause when you love somebody for real, I know y’all will get over that.
‘And when y’all say, “We will cancel yo a**,” well, they’ve tried that, and I’m still here to let y’all know I love you and ain’t nothing you can do about that.’
She continued: ‘I love our community and ain’t nothing you can do about that. So if you’re offended because I said to you, “you’re a queen and you’re beautiful and when you wear that d**n bonnet and your pyjama pants and your slippers anywhere that you block your own beauty”
‘Let your beauty be seen and be shown… I am unapologetic about what I said because I said it with nothing but love and I said it with no judgment. For the sisters that got it, I’m glad. For the ones that didn’t, I’ll wait.’
The Parkers star captioned the video: ‘Hey my beautiful babies. I’m okay with some of you being in your feelings. I LOVE YALL & SOMETIMES THAT LOVE AINT EASY. I am here for the CHALLENGE. And ain’t NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP ME FROM LOVING YOU.’
In the original video, the Phat Girlz star raised eyebrows after she called out Black women stepping out while ‘wearing head bonnets, scarfs, slippers pajamas, [and] blankets wrapped around them.
She explained: ‘I’ve been seeing it not just at the airport. I’ve been seeing it at the store, at the mall… When did we lose our pride in representing ourselves? When did we slip away of let me make sure I’m presentable when I leave my home? [sic].’
The Almost Christmas actress stated that her statements weren’t coming from a place of ‘judgement’ but more a ‘place of love’, and felt compelled to speak out as she’s been honoured with the title ‘aunty’.
Mo’Nique added that she wasn’t telling women to always wear a full face of make-up or a lace front wig, but said: ‘All I’m saying is could you please comb your hair? ‘I’m not saying you don’t have pride but the representation that you’re showing someone will have to ask you to know if you have it. It’s not to get a man … it is just your representation of you, my sweet babies.’
‘That may be a part of us helping our community, because if you look like you don’t give a damn, how you gonna be treated?’ she wondered.
Something tells us Mo’Nique won’t be letting reactions stop her from sharing her thoughts and advice again in the future.
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