Monique is an American comedian, actress, and producer who has been making people laugh since the late 1990s. She is best known for her roles in films such as Precious, Almost Christmas, and Phat Girlz, as well as her own sitcom The Parkers.
She is also a vocal advocate for equal pay and representation for Black women in Hollywood. She has won several awards, including an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy. But how much is Monique worth today? And how did she earn her fortune? In this article, we will explore the net worth, career, and personal life of Monique.
Net Worth
According to various estimates circulating on the web, Monique’s net worth is approximately $13 million as of 2024. However, the exact details of her income remain undisclosed, as Monique prefers to keep such matters private. Monique’s net worth is a result of her successful and diverse career, as well as her smart financial decisions.
Monique earned a total of $3.6 million in salary during her acting career, according to Basketball Reference. Her highest annual salary was $1.3 million in the 2009-2010 season, when she starred in the film Precious, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also signed contracts worth millions of dollars with several networks, such as UPN, BET, and Netflix.
Aside from acting, Monique also makes money from her comedy career, which she started in 1999 with the Queens of Comedy tour. She has performed in several stand-up specials, such as I Coulda Been Your Cellmate, I Don’t Want to Fight, and Monique and Friends: Live from Atlanta. She also hosted her own late-night talk show, The Monique Show, from 2009 to 2011.
Monique has also been involved in various endorsement deals, such as with CoverGirl, Lane Bryant, and Jenny Craig. She has also launched her own clothing line, Monique’s Big Beautiful and Loving It, and her own book, Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World.
She has also invested in real estate, owning several properties in Georgia, California, and Maryland. She has also donated to various charities, such as the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, the Mo’Nique Imes-Jackson Foundation, and the Black AIDS Institute.
Career
Monique was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1967. She is the youngest of four children, who were abused by their father in their childhood. She attended Morgan State University, where she studied business administration. She worked as a customer service representative and a phone sex operator before pursuing a career in comedy.
Monique stepped into the entertainment industry inadvertently, as her brother Steve dared her to perform at Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet during an open mic night. She impressed the audience and the owner, who offered her a regular gig. She then hosted numerous venues as a stand-up comedian, such as Showtime at the Apollo, Def Comedy Jam, and Comic View.
In 1999, she joined the Queens of Comedy tour, along with Sommore, Adele Givens, and Laura Hayes. The tour was a huge success, breaking records and earning over $37 million. The tour was also filmed and released as a concert film, which sold over 500,000 copies.
In 2000, she landed her first major role in the UPN sitcom The Parkers, playing Nikki Parker, a single mother who attends college with her daughter. The show was a hit, running for five seasons and earning Monique several awards and nominations, including four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.
Monique continued to appear in various films and TV shows, such as Two Can Play That Game, Soul Plane, Hair Show, and Ugly Betty. She also starred in her own reality show, Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance, which was a beauty pageant for plus-sized women.
Monique’s breakthrough role came in 2009, when she played Mary Lee Johnston, an abusive mother, in the film Precious, based on the novel Push by Sapphire. She received universal acclaim and accolades for her performance, winning an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Critics’ Choice Award. She also made history as the fourth Black woman to win an Academy Award for acting.
Monique’s latest project is the Netflix comedy special Monique and Friends: Live from Atlanta, which was released in 2020. The special features Monique and other comedians, such as Tone-X, Correy Bell, Donnell Rawlings, and Prince T-Dub, performing in front of a live audience.
Personal Life
Monique has been married twice, and has three children. She married Mark Jackson in 1997, and they had a son, Shalon, in 1999. They divorced in 2001. She then married Sidney Hicks in 2006, and they had twin sons, Jonathan and David, in 2005. Monique and Hicks have an open marriage, which they have discussed publicly.
Monique is a vegan and a fitness enthusiast, who has lost over 100 pounds since 2012. She is also a supporter of various causes, such as body positivity, women’s empowerment, and racial justice. She has also been vocal about her own struggles with depression, molestation, and discrimination.
Conclusion
Monique is a talented and fearless comedian and actress who has achieved remarkable success and recognition in her career. She is one of the most influential and respected voices in the industry, and an Oscar winner. She has a net worth of $13 million, which reflects her hard work and passion. She is also a loving and loyal wife and mother, who lives by her own rules. She is a queen who makes the world laugh and think.