Wanda Sykes has backed fellow funnywoman Mo’nique’s call for a Netflix boycott after both stars complained about receiving low offers for their comedy specials.
The Precious star took to social media on Friday (19Jan18) to reveal she had been offered just $500,000 for a one-off stand-up performance, even though streaming service officials had reportedly paid her peers Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock $20 million each, per routine.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeIg0TUFgJ0/?hl=en&taken-by=therealmoworldwide
In her video appeal, Mo’Nique also highlighted the fact Trainwreck star Amy Schumer had signed an initial $11 million deal for her 2017 Netflix special, before renegotiating her contract for $13 million, after learning how much Chappelle and Rock were allegedly receiving.
Taking aim at Netflix bosses for what she claims was “gender” and “color bias”, she revealed her offer was made based on what company chiefs thought she would bring to the brand, insisting they “don’t go off of resumes” when negotiating for comedy specials – even though they allegedly cited Schumer’s sold out gigs at New York’s Madison Square Garden for justifying her pay.
Following the weekend post, Monster-in-Law star Wanda Sykes reached out to Mo’Nique to back up her allegations of bias, explaining she rejected a low-ball offer of her own and took her special, 2016’s What Happened Ms. Sykes?, to cable TV network Epix instead.
.@moworldwide, thank you for speaking out. @netflix offered me less than half of your $500k. I was offended but found another home. #EPIX
— Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) January 21, 2018
“Thank you for speaking out,” Wanda wrote on Twitter on Sunday (21Jan18). “@netflix offered me less than half of your $500k. I was offended but found another home.”
Mo’Nique has since responded to Sykes‘ comment in a new video post on Instagram, asking, “How is that Wanda Sykes and Mo’Nique together, these two black women who have 50-plus years in the comedy game, be offered $750,000 between the both of us and Amy Schumer get $13 million (sic)?”
Whoopi Goldberg also weighed in on the pay disparity during Monday’s (22Jan18) episode of her talk show The View.
“It happens all the time.. but you know what? Then you’ve gotta find yourself someplace else…,” she said. “Look, the b**ch of all of this is that if you’re a woman of color, you have to work 10 times harder (than your peers)… I just know that it is.”
She then directly addressed Netflix bosses to give popular Girls Trip star Tiffany Haddish her own comedy special at the same rate as other top funnymen and women.
Whoopi concluded, “So Netflix, we have a challenge for you: we want you to book Tiffany Haddish and give her her own special, and we want you to pay her like you pay the big guys.”
Netflix representatives, who have declined to comment on their contract negotiations, have yet to respond to Whoopi’s proposal.
