Paula Cook and son

RadarOnline is reporting that Oprah is attempting to bring Paula Cook on her show to talk about how Fantasia Barrino stole her husband.  Mo’Nique is also hoping to get Cook on her show as well.

She has taken a leave of absence from her teaching job to contemplate all of her options.

A source told RadarOnline:

“Paula has been approached by Oprah’s people to go on her chat show. She still hasn’t decided what she will do though, and she was also approached by Mo’Nique too.

“There was also the chance for her to appear on a new reality show about spurned women, and she’s considering another option to write a book about the whole Fantasia saga.

“At the moment she is weighing up all these offers and is just taking time out to look after her sons.

“She has been allowing Antwaun to spend time with the boys although she is becoming more resigned to the fact that their marriage is definitely over now.

“Despite anything that Fantasia may say about Antwaun being separated from his wife when she started dating him, Paula firmly believes that she knowingly got involved with a married man.”

Meanwhile, we reported, Barrino – whose new album, “Back To Me” was released Tuesday, August 24 – opened-up to People about her recent suicide attempt.

“I didn’t have any fight in me. I didn’t care about anything. I just wanted out,” Barrino, 26, revealed.

“At that moment, I wanted out. I wanted it to be over with – all of it, all of that [expletive].”

In the new interview, Barrino goes in-depth about her actual attempts at self-destruction.

Toni Braxton hit up The Mo'Nique show to promote her new album 'PULSE'. Shaq also met with the Oscar winner for some reason. Who knows...

According to RadarOnline.com word is that Mo’Nique is extra pissy over Oprah’s recent interview with her brother and her parents claiming that things are worse than ever.

Reportedly “Oprah and Mo’Nique were never the best of friends... Mo’Nique was less than impressed with how the interview played out as she felt that her brother lied and that it was not sympathetic enough towards her.

“She was particularly upset that Gerald lied to Oprah that he molested her while she was sleeping because she was wide awake and scared of him.

“Also, she is angry that he did not get any help or enter a rehab and she does not trust him around children.

“Oprah asked her to appear on her show again for another interview but at this point she has declined the invitation.

“If anything it has made the situation worse between Mo’Nique and her family and she doesn’t know if she will ever speak to them again now.”

Gerald Imes

Mo'Nique's older brother Gerald Imes appeared on "The Oprah Show" to admit to sexually molestation he performed on Mo'Nique when she was just 7 years old.  On the show Gerald Imes claimed that he started a drug habit of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana at age 11 to deal with his own issues of abuse.

More of Gerald on "The Oprah Show" when you read the rest...

Here's summary from the show:

"I'm here today to first acknowledge that I've been in denial for 37 years. ... I did assault and inappropriately touch my sister in manners that were uncomfortable for her," Imes said on the show. "And for that, I apologize and I'm humbly sorry that those actions had taken place."

Imes admitted that the abuse of his younger sister stemmed from his issues with drugs and alcohol. "The drugs weren't an excuse. They just allowed me and afforded me the opportunity to do the things that were in the back of my mind as a kid that I always wanted to do," he said. "Most of the time, the abuse that I did with my sister took place while she was asleep [or] the appearance that she was asleep.

"I hid my own molestation and pain and guilt and shame, because I thought it was my fault that these things happened to me," he continued. "So I internalized that, and I hid behind the drugs and alcohol and then that spiraling thing in my mind, as a child, I wanted to express my sexuality, so I took it out on my sister."

For many decades, Imes didn't own up to his actions. "The hardest part for me was even to admit to her I did something wrong," he said. "I downplayed it by saying, 'If you think I did it ... .' There's no more 'if you think' — I did it. I did it. I'm not proud of it. Mo'Nique, I'm sorry. I can only hope that by coming forth today that somewhere along the line with the apology that, yes, hopefully somewhere, somehow as siblings we can come back together.

"I'm doing this to apologize to my sister, to hopefully bring back some family unity," he added. "I'm doing this to publicly acknowledge. Now let's bring our family back together."

Source

Here, in the first interview I’ve ever conducted which actually brought me to tears, Mo’Nique reflects upon a variety of subjects, ranging from family to spiri

tuality to surviving incest to what winning the Oscar means to her. And she also talks about “Spread the Love,” the standup comedy victory tour during which she’ll be making stops in 20 cities around the country between now and the end of May.

Kam Williams: Hey, Mo’Nique. The last thing I said to you, when we spoke back in October, was that the next time we spoke I’d be congratulating you on your Oscar. Well, Congratulations, sister!

Mo’Nique: Thank you, brother, I appreciate that.

KW: It was easy to predict. Listen, I watch over 500 movies a year, and let me say that was not only the best performance of 2010, but in my opinion it would eve

n have won if they gave out an Oscar for the best performance of the decade.

M: Wow! Thank you, brother.

KW: Well, I want to thank you for still making yourself available to me now, because it often becomes impossible to land another interview with an actor or actress after they’ve just landed an Oscar nomination. They don’t even have to win the Oscar to suddenly be unavailable.

M: And that’s a damn shame, Kam. Me? I appreciate the brothers and sisters who were there before anybody was calling. So, how could I not talk to you?

KW: I certainly appreciate that, especially since I remember how over the years you’ve done a lot of little things for me like arrange to put a couple passes aside if you were doing a comedy show nearby. Speaking of standup, what inspired you to do this “Spread the Love Tour,” when you must already be very busy from hosting your late night TV talk show on BET?

M: Well, standup is my first love. When I told my husband [Sidney Hicks], “Baby, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to get back out there,” he said, “Okay, then let’s come up with a title. What are you trying to say?” and I said, “Let’s spread the love! Let’s spread the love with jokes, baby, through humor. Let’s laugh out loud, but while we doing it, we’re gonna be loving on each other at the same time.”

KW: I see that you’re taking DJ Ant on the road with you. What’s up with the music?

M: Oh, Lord, honey! As a comedienne, I always loved when the audience was entertained from the moment the doors opened up ‘till the time they closed. I never understood why people would have to sit patiently waiting in silence for the comedians to come on. I say, “Give ‘em a full show! Let ‘em feel good! Let ‘em party! Let that music move through ‘em, baby. So, by the time we come to the stage, the house is already on fire. The music helps amplify the experience.

KW: And why’d you decide to have two comedians accompanying you on the tour, Rodney Perry and Tone-X?

M: Now, Rodney Perry is my co-host on the talk show. What I love about him is that he’s so brilliantly funny, and he’s fearless. And his act is so full of love. You feel like he’s Uncle Rodney. And it’s the same thing with Tone-X. He’s just fearless, and our whole goal is to make you laugh, but to make you feel good at the same time.

KW: And what type of jokes will you be doing?

M: Adult! You know me, Kam. [Laughs] Adult jokes. But they’re very honest. Whenever people ask, “Who is Mo’Nique?” I always say, “Come to a comedy show, baby. You will find out who she is right there.”

KW: I guess you’ll have to touch on winning the Oscar, too.

M: Kam, you know I’m a have to touch it, hit it, slap it and rub it down, because it’s been quite a journey, especially after reading some of the articles, and hearing some people’s opinions. After all, I’m a comedienne. So, you know, I got to take that and bring it up on the stage.

KW: I’m not you, yet my eyes are tearing up, when I think of all the criticism leveled at you last fall for not kissing-up to the film industry, as if your performance couldn’t stand on its own. I admired how you stuck to your guns, even though I thought it might hurt you with the voters. That’s why the headline of my article back then was, “Just Give Mo’Nique the Oscar!”

M: It’s all about the performance, baby.

KW: What should anything else have to do with it? But they were like sharks circling you in the water, trying to figure out how to prevent you from getting it. It’s a further tribute to your performance that you won in the face of negative buzz trying to poison the minds of the Academy voters by suggesting that you were thumbing your nose at the Hollywood establishment.

M: I’m a big believer that when you do it right, and you don’t waiver, you win an Oscar. When I say do it right, I mean you stay humble, full of love, and focused on your goal, baby, and that other stuff don’t matter. It ends up rolling right off of your back. And you still got to love those people who done wrote that stuff about you.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

M: Oh my God! It was about my baby Jonathan, just this morning in the kitchen. He said, “Mommy, do you know what David [his twin brother] did?” because he was getting ready to tell on him. I said, “What?” And he paused for a long time before saying, “Nothin’.” It was the cutest thing. I said, “I’m proud of you! You were getting ready to tell on your brother, then you thought about it.” My kids and my husband, Sidney, make me laugh all the time.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

M: What is my earliest childhood memory? Wow! Wow! I remember coming home on the first day of school, maybe in the second grade, and I told my dad, “My teacher said I’m gonna pass.” But the teacher hadn’t told me that, but I wanted some attention. [LOL] I’ve always been that kid.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

M: Hmm… That my husband and I would be able to meet the next generation of the Hicks family.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

M: The Shack. Kam, believe me when I tell you that this book is amazing. It’s about this guy whose daughter is molested and brutally-murdered. And he has to go back to where it happened. He meets god, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God is a big, black woman who talks real slick in her mouth. Jesus looks like he’s Iraqi, and the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman. I tell you, Kam, you can just feel the love coming off of the pages. It is a book that I suggest to you, because I believe your spirit can withstand it. Get it! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964729245?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0964729245

KW: I definitely will.

M: It’s so amazing, that as you read it, you’ll go “Oh my God!”

KW: The next time we speak, I’ll tell you what I thought of the book.

M: Yes… Yes, yes, yes!

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?

M: This morning, I worked out to Barry White.

KW: Yale grad Tommy Russell says, "You go girl" and asks, what keeps you going as an actress: a thought, a personal wish, a subconscious force?

M: What keeps me going? These are some great questions, Kam! I think what keeps me going is just today. I’m so appreciative of this gift, because I can’t explain it. So, today keeps me going in the hope that I’ll get to tomorrow.

KW: Tommy also asks, what do you think the most important political initiative is for President Obama in his first administration?

M: I think it’s love, and I think he’s doing it. I think the moment that Americans get behind this man is the moment that the world will get behind America.

KW: Barbara Darko noticed that you gave your husband, Sidney, a lot of credit during your Oscar acceptance speech. She asks, how would you describe your relationship?

M: I thank God every day for allowing me to spend this journey with his son.

KW: Rev. Florine Thompson asks, what life experiences prepared you most for your role in Precious?

M: [Pauses, clears her throat] I was molested by my eldest brother, Gerald. So, I knew who Mary Jones was. And when Mr. Daniels [director Lee Daniels] asked me to portray a monster, I was very familiar with that monster. And please let me say this. You know how you might be unable to fully understand something you’re going through at the time that it’s happening? And you might even want to be mad at God?

KW: Yeah.

M: Well, the moment we wrapped that movie, I understood why I had gone  through what I went through as a little girl, which allowed me to stop resenting my brother. It was life-changing for me.

KW: Reverend Thompson also asks, what would you say to those mothers who sit in silence while their significant other, or perhaps I should say insignificant other, sexually abuses their daughter?

M: The first thing I would say is, this is the “No Judgment Zone.” We ain’t judging. All we would ask you is that you get some help. And get some help for the family, even for the person who is doing it to your child. Remove the predator from the situation, of course, but get help for everybody involved. And love him when he’s unlovable.

KW: She was also wondering, whether this movie has empowered you to champion the cause of domestic abuse?

M: Yes... yes… And domestic abuse is such an umbrella. So much fits under that umbrella that what we’re championing and the mission for us is love. Because when you truly got that thing called L-O-V-E, you’re not judging. You simply want to say, “Listen, baby, what you did, you have to pay for under the law, but we’re gonna love you through it.” Maybe that way you can talk to the next person that’s thinking about becoming a molester, that’s telling you the thoughts they’re having. So, you can suggest they get some help before they act on those urges. That’s the whole mission, Kam, it really is.

KW: The good Rev asks, what do you most thank God for?

M: Today. I’m so thankful for today, that I could wake up to my children who are so full of joy and love, saying “Good morning, mommy!” Man, I’m so thankful for today, because tomorrow, I may not get.

KW: Larry Greenberg says, people might not know that you have been in quite a few action films, like Shadowboxer, Half Past Dead and his favorite, Domino. He wants to know whether there’s any chance of your going back to the action genre.

M: You tell Larry that I am a superhero, and I’m going to be flying in somebody’s film real soon, sugar. So, yes, I can’t wait to put a cape on! [Laughs]

KW: Barbara asks if you plan to bring your daily talk show to mainstream network TV?

M: I get that question often. Would you do me a favor, Kam, and ask Barbara exactly what does she mean by mainstream? Because the stream I’m in right now is my mainstream.

KW: That’s a brilliant analysis. I feel the same way. The New York Times would never consider hiring me or printing any of my articles, so why should I consider that mainstream when I have so many outlets who do appreciate what I do.

M: Kam is my mainstream. People invest so much into that word “mainstream.” What does it mean? And is that supposed to be some sort of validation because you think I should go to mainstream? The stream I’m in right now is my mainstream. If you want to come on over and play with me, come on!

KW: Here’s another one more from Reverend Thompson, how does your spirituality inform you and enable you to play the role of Precious' mother?

M: Wow! You know, when we went into this, we knew we had to be honest, because if we weren’t, we would not be able to change lives, or to serve as the vessels we were supposed to be used as. So, we just wanted to make sure we were dead honest, so that people who watched the film could literally watch themselves.

KW: Well, thanks again, Mo’Nique. This is the first time I’ve ever ended an interview with tears in my eyes. I guess I’m crying because I’ve known you at different stages of your career, and I’m just so moved by what you’ve achieved and touched by the absence of bitterness about what you’ve had to overcome, and I’m honored by how openly you’ve shared your feelings about it all with me.

M: Kam, I love you, brother. And for the rest of my career, baby, as long as you’re doing what you’re doing, me and you will keep on talking.

KW: I really appreciate that, and I love you, too, Mo’Nique.

M: God bless you.

To see Mo’Nique’s Golden Globe acceptance speech, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQwsWuKo8gc

To see Mo’Nique’s Academy Awards acceptance speech, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pc3hA2ONbU

To order a copy of Precious on DVD, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VECM4A?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002VECM4A

He developed a love of music at an early age, playing both drums and guitar by the time he was 5. After dropping out of Beverly Hills High School at the age of 15, Lenny straightened his hair and donned blue contact lenses to create a new persona, Romeo Blue. But he only hit it big after going natural and back to his real name and irises for the release of his debut album, “Let Love Rule.” A 4-time Grammy-winner, Lenny’s hits include “Let Love Rule,” “Fly Away” and “American Woman,” to name a few.

He and his ex-wife, Cosby kid Lisa Bonet, have one daughter, Zoe, an aspiring actress whose next flick, Twelve, will be released in the Fall. Here, Lenny talks about making his acting debut in Precious, where he played John, an empathetic nurse who befriends the beleaguered title character.
 
Kam Williams: Hey, Lenny, thanks for the time. What interested you in playing John?

Lenny Kravitz: Well, first of all, I thought it was a great story. Then the fact that Lee’s a great director and I’m a fan of his movies. He makes dynamic films. And the script was great. I also liked Nurse John, who was really the only positive male character in the film, concerning Precious. Even though it’s only a short visit they have together, she sort of starts to come alive at that point.

KW: Did you enjoy making the film?

LK: It was a great experience. Obviously it was my first film, but you never know when you read a script, what it’s going to be like, even if you know who’s been cast. And I can say that it’s the same for making music videos or doing other projects. 

KW: What did you think of the finished product? 

LK: It came out so amazing! It was far more than I had imagined.

KW: How was it working with such a talented cast, Mo’Nique, Gabby Sidibe, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton, Sherri Shepherd, etcetera?

LK: Well, my scenes were primarily with Gabby and the young girls, so I really didn’t see anybody else. But working with Gabby, I realized immediately that she was amazingly talented. I could tell just by the way she’d get into the role. We’d be sitting around talking and laughing, but when Lee would say, “Okay, it’s time to get ready to shoot the scene,” she would transform at the snap of a finger as soon as Lee said, “Action!” She’d suddenly be in agony, or crying or in some deep, emotional state.” And I’d be thinking, “Wow! This girl is really incredible.” You never know where you’re going to find a great actor. Just yesterday, I was watching an interview with Martin Scorcese concerning Raging Bull, which is one of my favorite films, and he was talking about how he’d worked with a lot of guys who weren’t quote-unquote “actors,” like Joe Pesce and Frank Vincent. Scorcese was very smart in the way that he cast, because you don’t know where you’re going to find the right person who can carry a role and summon that emotion you’re looking for.  

KW: Would you describe Lee as a hands-on director? 

LK: Extremely! And I enjoyed that, because when I’m making my music, I’m writing it, I’m producing it, I’m playing all the instruments, I’m performing. It’s my own world where I do what I feel, and nobody tells me anything. So, I found it a really refreshing change of pace to suddenly be completely directed. It was a type of collaboration that I don’t normally have. He told me how to walk, how to do this, how to do that. Yet, at the same time, he’ll give you room to breathe, once he’s established what he wants from you. For instance, take the scene in the hospital where I’m initially sitting with Precious, smacking my lips while I’m eating that fruit salad, and her girlfriends are all talking trash. That whole scene was improvised. At first, we followed our dialogue, but we weren’t feeling it. Lee came into the room, and ripped those pages out of the script. He said, “This is what I want. I need for you to take me from A to B to C, but just make it up. Now, just go!” We did, and he loved it. But then the 7 of us had to remember what we’d just made up in order to repeat it 4 or 5 more times from different camera angles. For me, it was a lot of fun. It still was like making music, the way I interpreted it. It’s all rhythm, it’s all musical, so it was intense, but really great working with Lee. 

KW: Laz Lyles noticed that you’re slated to make a movie with Ash Baron-Cohen [cousin of Sacha] called Novella.

LK: I don’t know what’s going on with that, actually. But the next film I’ll be doing is another one with Lee called Selma, in which I’ll be playing Andrew Young.  

KW:: Laz wants to know if you intend to pursue more acting roles, or if you’ll just be playing it by ear?

LK: I’m playing it by ear although, although it’s a good time for me to pursue acting, I suppose since I’m enjoying having another medium in which to express myself. I’ve been getting a great response to my work. I’m sure great scripts are hard to find, but I’m definitely open, and waiting to see what comes my way.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks, what musical heights do you still want to reach?  What motivates the music you create and governs it development?

LK: What motivates it is life. Life is everything. Life influences my music and brings it forth. Life is always changing, so I’m always hearing new music. It’s the way I document my life. I feel like my best work is in front of me. I’m in the studio now, and I’m having an amazing time making this new album. It’s something I can’t help.

KW: The new album is called “Negrophilia.” Is there some sort of theme running through all the songs? 

LK: It’s not written as a concept album, and the whole album isn’t finished yet, but I’m sure there will be some kind of thread, because it just works out that way. I liked the title and what the word means. I was living in Paris last year, where there’s a great appreciation of many different aspects of African culture and of black culture. The music… the art… whatever… And I kind of went with that. 

KW: This wasn’t your first time living in Paris, though.

LK: No, I went to Paris in 1989 when the Americans didn’t quite know what to do with me at first. Now, all those years later, it’s kind of the same story. Not the same scenario, but kind of the same story.                     

KW: Larry Greenberg says, he would love to love to see a movie about Romeo Blue. Is there any chance of that happening?

LK: Hmmm… That’s interesting, you know. I haven’t thought about that, but it’s interesting, because it was a different persona, a different person, as far as I’m concerned. I haven’t thought about making a music film, but if I did, that would be a very interesting idea.

KW: Romeo Blue was an important phase you went through in getting you back to yourself. 

LK: Yes, I was being somebody else. It was a part of me. I had an emotional attachment to this character, but it wasn’t me. I didn’t know whether being this half-black, half-white guy named Lenny Kravitz could work. That may sound really strange, but in essence, that’s how I felt. But then I woke up one day, and realized Romeo Blue wasn’t me. It was a part of me, but it wasn’t me. At that point, I accepted myself, my name and my background for who I am, and then everything began to flow.

KW: Do you ever feel pressure to identify yourself as black or white, or Jewish or Christian?

LK: No, my mother always told me to embrace both sides of my background. And she also taught me one very useful thing when I was going to first grade. She said, “You’re Bahamian and African-American on one side, and Russian-Jewish on the other. You’re no more one than the other, and it’s beautiful that you have all this. It makes your life all the more rich. But society will see you only as black.” I can’t remember how I felt at the time that she told me that, but later on in life I was like, “Wow!” because that’s exactly how it was. They don’t care that you’re mixed. They see you as one color.

KW: And although you understood that the world saw you that way, you didn’t allow yourself to be pigeonholed and marginalized.  

LK: I’ve lived my life dealing with everybody. And that’s how it’s always been for me.

KW: Tommy Russell asks, do you think Obama will end up having a very successful Presidency like Reagan, bad at the beginning, revered by the end, or will he lack enough of an economic rebound to earn a second term?

LK: I think it’s too early to say, but I certainly hope that he will win re-election. Beyond his having made history as the first African-American president, I hope that he gets re-elected for what he does while in office, not for his skin color. I certainly believe he has the capacity.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

LK: Very! Extremely!

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

LK: Yes, but I’m working on canceling that out completely.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

LK: Last night.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

LK: It’s a book that my mom had called “Black Poets.”
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0252003411?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0252003411

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What’s the last song you listened to? 

LK: One of mine I’m working on called “Love Casino.”

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

LK: Oh, wow… Wow! Honestly, today, I saw my mother.

KW: I know you’re related to Al Roker. We grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same grammar school.

LK: Oh, you grew up in St. Albans? I used to go there almost every weekend. In fact, after I was born at St. John’s hospital in Bed-Stuy, I went straight to my godmother’s house in St. Albans. Yeah man, I know St. Albans real well.

KW: What’s your favorite dish to cook?

LK: I have a lot of them I guess right now it’s lamb chops. I been eating a little meat lately.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

LK: Me being in my grandmother’s yard in Brooklyn. I must have been about 3. I had this red balloon. I let go of it, and it went up into the sky and just kept going and going. I completely flipped out, because I didn’t understand why.

KW: Thanks again for the interview, Lenny, and best f luck with the new album and the acting career.

LK: Thank you.
 
To see the video for American Woman, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z_fsdWYXMA
 
To see a trailer for Precious, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5FYahzVU44

Mo'Nique & Hubby Sidney

The celebs partied it up last night as they hit the Governor’s Ball and Elton John’s annual post-Oscar AIDS Foundation Event:

Serena Williams

Serena Williams

Kimora Lee

Elton John & Kimora Lee

Kimora Lee

Stacey Dash

Jennifer Hudson

Keisha Whitaker

Here’s Mo’Nique’s acceptance speech from last night for Best Supporting Actress. Peep Sam Jackson’s side eye after Mo'Nique finishes around the 2:30 mark.

More Oscar news after the break...

So you might be wondering what happened when you saw producer Elinor Burkett Kanyed the microphone during the acceptance speech from director-producer Roger Ross Williams who won the award for his film, “Music by Prudence,”. Here’s a snippet of the post award interview with both parties:

Producer Elinor Burkett

People are already saying you “pulled a Kanye.” What happened?

BURKETT: What happened was the director and I had a bad difference over the direction of the film that resulted in a lawsuit that has settled amicably out of court. But there have been all these events around the Oscars, and I wasn’t invited to any of them. And he’s not speaking to me. So we weren’t even able to discuss ahead of the time who would be the one person allowed to speak if we won. And then, as I’m sure you saw, when we won, he raced up there to accept the award. And his mother took her cane and blocked me. So I couldn’t get up there very fast.

Can you explain the reason behind the conflict?

BURKETT: The movie was supposed to be about the entire band, Liyana. And the [band members] were very clear they did not want to participate if it ended up being just about one person. The director and HBO decided to focus solely on Prudence . . .

Director Roger Williams

How did that happen?

WILLIAMS: Only one person is allowed to accept the award. I was the director, and she was removed from the project nearly a year ago, but she was able to still qualify as a producer on the project, and be an official nominee. But she was very angry — she actually removed herself from the project – because she wanted more creative control.

But couldn’t you decide ahead of time who would speak?

WILLIAMS: That was handled by the publicist for the academy. I don’t know what they told her. The academy is very clear that only one person can speak. I own the film. She has no claim whatsoever. She has nothing to do with the movie. She just ambushed me. I was sort of in shock.

You seemed to run up there pretty fast. Didn’t you see her coming up the aisle? What did you think was going to happen when she got there?

WILLIAMS: I just expected her to stand there. I had a speech prepared.

Read the full interview HERE

Mo'Nique

CONGRATS TO MO'NIQUE FOR WINNING THE BET SUPPORTING ACTRESS AWARD FOR PRECIOUS.

She thanked the Academy for showing that amazing talent can will over hollywood politics.  She also thanked Hattie McDaniel for paving the way as well as Oprah & Tyler Perry for supporting the vision, and told her husband Sidney:

“Thank you for showing me that sometimes you have to forgo doing what’s popular in order to do what’s right.  And baby…you were so right.”

We are very proud to call Mo'Nique a Oscar winning actress.

Precious Screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher also won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Precious Screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher

What’s equally interesting is the fact that The Hurt Locker’s director, Kathryn Bigelow, is Cameron’s ex-wife, so the former spouses’ films will be pitted up against each other in not only the Best Picture, Cinematography, Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Original Score categories, but head-to-head for Best Director as well.

Among the other multiple nominees are Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (8), Lee Daniels’ Precious (6), Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air (6) and the endearing Disney cartoon Up (6). A welcomed surprise was newcomer Gabby Sidibe’s being recognized for her compelling portrayal of the title character in Precious, especially since in earning the spot she had to beat out some stiff competition like Tilda Swinton (Julia), Gwyneth Paltrow (Two Lovers), Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) and Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist).

The 82nd Academy Awards will air on ABC on Sunday, March 7th at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, and will be co-hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.   

COMPLETE LIST OF ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEES

BEST PICTURE

"Avatar"
"The Blind Side"
"District 9"
"An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"
"Up in the Air"
 

BEST DIRECTOR

James Cameron, "Avatar"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Lee Daniels, "Precious"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"
 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz, "Nine"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique, "Precious"
 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Woody Harrleson, "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
 

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"
Meryl Streep, "Julie and Julia"
 

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
 
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, "The Messenger"
Joel and Ethan Coen, "A Serious Man"
Pete Docter, Bob Peterson and Tom McCarthy, "Up"
 
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, "District 9"
Nick Hornby, "An Education"
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, "In the Loop"
Geoffrey Fletcher, "Precious"
Jason Retiman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"
 
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

"Coraline"
"The Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"The Secret of Kells"
"Up"
 
ART DIRECTION

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg, Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics), Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro, Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
"Nine" (The Weinstein Company), Art Direction: John Myhre, Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
"Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood, Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition), Art Direction: Patrice Vermette, Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
 
CINEMATOGRPAHY

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Mauro Fiore
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Warner Bros.), Bruno Delbonnel
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Barry Ackroyd
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company), Robert Richardson
"The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics), Christian Berger
 
COSTUME DESIGN

"Bright Star" (Apparition), Janet Patterson
"Coco before Chanel" (Sony Pictures Classics), Catherine Leterrier
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics), Monique Prudhomme
"Nine" (The Weinstein Company), Colleen Atwood
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition), Sandy Powell
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

"Burma VJ" (Oscilloscope Laboratories), A Magic Hour Films Production, Anders Ostergaard and Lise Lense-Moller
"The Cove" (Roadside Attractions), An Oceanic Preservation Society Production, Nominees to be determined
"Food, Inc." (Magnolia Pictures), A Robert Kenner Films Production, Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers", A Kovno Communications Production, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
"Which Way Home", A Mr. Mudd Production, Rebecca Cammisa
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

"China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan, Province", A Downtown Community Television Center Production, Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
"The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner", A Just Media Production, Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
"The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant", A Community Media Production, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
"Music by Prudence", An iThemba Production, Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
"Rabbit à la Berlin" (Deckert Distribution), An MS Films Production, Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
 
BEST FILM EDITING

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing), Julian Clarke
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company), Sally Menke
"Precious" (Lionsgate), Joe Klotz
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

"Ajami" (Kino International), An Inosan Production, Israel
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haddock Films Production, Argentina
"The Milk of Sorrow", A Wanda Vision/Oberon Cinematografica/Vela Productions, Peru
"Un Prophete" (Sony Pictures Classics), A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production, France
"The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics), An X-Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production, Germany
 
BEST MAKEUP

"Il Divo" (MPI Media Group through Music Box), Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition), Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore
 
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox), James Horner
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox), Alexandre Desplat
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
"Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.), Hans Zimmer
"Up" (Walt Disney), Michael Giacchino
 
BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" (Sony Pictures Classics), Music by Reinhardt Wagner, Lyric by Frank Thomas
"Take It All" from "Nine" (The Weinstein Company), Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett
 
BEST ANIMATED SHORT

"French Roast" , A Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films Production, Fabrice O. Joubert
"Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" (Brown Bag Films), A Brown Bag Films Production, Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell
"The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)", A Kandor Graphics and Green Moon Production, Javier Recio Gracia
"Logorama" (Autour de Minuit), An Autour de Minuit Production, Nicolas Schmerkin
"A Matter of Loaf and Death" (Aardman Animations), An Aardman Animations Production, Nick Park
 
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT

"The Door" (Network Ireland Television)
"Instead of Abracadabra", (The Swedish Film Institute)
"Kavi", A Gregg Helvey Production, Gregg Helvey
"Miracle Fish", (Premium Films)
"The New Tenants", A Park Pictures and M & M Production, Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
 
BEST SOUND EDITING

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Paul N.J. Ottosson
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company), Wylie Stateman
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
"Up" (Walt Disney), Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
 
BEST SOUND MIXING

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company), Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount), Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
 
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing) , Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Watch her emotional acceptance speech below

Mo'Nique

Mo'Nique & Nicole Kidman

Mo'Nique + Nicole

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Mo'Nique and her hubby Sidney

Mo'Nique

Mariah & Nick Cannon

Robin Thicke & Paula Patton

Heidi & Seal

Gabby Sidibe

Zoe Saldana

Alfre Woodard

Samuel Jackson

Lori McCreary & Morgan Freeman

Halle Berry

Mike Tyson and his wife

Congrats go out to Mo’Nique!  Last night she won for Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture at the Golden Globes Awards.  She thanked her husband Sidney, Lee Daniels, & co-star Gabby Sidibe.

Actress/Comedianne, Mo'Nique was a big winner at the 15th Annual Critics Choice Awards.   The talk show host won Best Supporting Actress for her dramatic performance in "Precious" at the Critic's Choice Movie Awards.