Netflix Responds to Mo'Nique's Lawsuit Accusing Streaming Service of Pay Discrimination Following $500K Offer for Standup Special

Netflix released a statement revealing the reason it intends to fight the lawsuit Mo'Nique filed against the company.

In response to the lawsuit Mo’Nique filed against Netflix, a spokesperson for the streaming giant has released a statement expressing the company’s intent to fight back.

Last week, Mo’Nique announced that she was suing Netflix for racial and gender discrimination. On her Instagram, she explained,

“I had a choice to make: I could accept what I felt was pay discrimination or I could stand up for those who came before me and those who will come after me. I chose to stand up.”

Mo’Nique’s lawsuit claims the streaming giant offered her a “lowball” pay of $500,000 as her talent fee for a one-hour stand-up comedy special.

She highlighted the disparity between this offer and the ones other comedians received. She cited the likes of Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Ellen DeGeneres, and Ricky Gervais who were paid 40 times more per show. She also cited Amy Schumer who earned 26 times more in her attempt to prove that Netflix discriminated against Black women.

In response to Mo’Nique’s lawsuit, a spokesperson for Netflix released a statement to The Wrap defending its “fair” offer. The statement read,

“We care deeply about inclusion, equity, and diversity and take any accusations of discrimination very seriously. We believe our opening offer to Mo’Nique was fair — which is why we will be fighting this lawsuit.”

Mo’Nique isn’t the first Black woman to complain about Netflix’s low pay. Wanda Sykes told Variety earlier this year that she rejected the company’s $250,000 offer.

Nevertheless, other Black women don’t seem to have a problem working for the streaming site. These include Tiffany Haddish whose Netflix special aired in 2017 and will be featuring in another one this December. Comedian Leslie Jones is also booked for a special in 2020. It’s unknown what their salaries are for these engagements.