EXCLUSIVE: Mo'Nique Still Fuming Over Oprah Interview
May 3 2010, Published 11:45 a.m. ET
Oscar winner Mo’Nique is still fuming over Oprah Winfrey's recent interview with her molester brother Gerald Imes, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.
Oprah’s producers tried for a second time to get the controversial Precious star to appear alongside Winfrey, but Mo’Nique flat out refused because she won't be used as a ratings pawn.
And to make matters worse since Imes (along with his parents) appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Monday, April 19, the long-running family feud has only deepened.
A source exclusively told RadarOnline.com: “They reached out to Mo’Nique once again for an appearance and she flat-out refused.
“She is standing by the fact that she did not like the interview between Oprah and her brother and that he lied on national television.
“Mo’Nique believes that he’s not reformed and still represents a danger to other people – she is also worried that he might be considering writing a book about their childhood too.
“What’s really sad is that her family tried to contact Mo’Nique after the interview but she’s not interested in reconciling with them at this point.
“It might not have been Oprah’s intention but the interview had only deepened the rift between Mo’Nique and her family.”
Winfrey, who says she has also suffered sexual abuse, did contact Mo’Nique to ask her if it was okay if she interviewed her brother.
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But although Mo’Nique gave the television icon her blessing, she felt that her brother lied and that Oprah was not sympathetic enough towards her.
On the show, Imes confirmed that the molestation continued for a year or two, starting when he was 13 and Mo’Nique was 7 or 8.
He claimed he decided to appear on Winfrey’s show to apologize to Mo’Nique and bring their family back together. Imes said he himself was molested and he was using drugs and alcohol at age 11.
He said: “I abused and betrayed the trust of another sibling, my sister, my blood sister, I’m sorry, Mo’Nique. I’m sorry.
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“Hopefully somewhere, somehow as siblings we can come back together as brother and sister.”
But his pleas fell on deaf ears as Mo’Nique was furious because he claimed that he had molested his sister while she was sleeping when in fact she was awake and scared of him at the time.
The whole interview has left the actress with a bitter taste in her mouth, and she’s nowhere near ready accepting any olive branch being offered-up from Oprah or her producers at the present time.