Mo Nique is an American actress and stand-up comedian. She is a Primetime Emmy and Grammy Award-nominated artist. Read further to learn more about Mo Nique, her net worth, and her life.
Early Life
Mo Nique came into the world on December 11, 1967, in Woodlawn, Maryland, United States. Her father, Steven Imes Jr., was a drug counselor, and her mother, Alice Imes, was an engineer. Mo Nique has three siblings, Gerald Imes, Millicent Imes, and Steve Imes. She is the youngest of four children. She grew up with her siblings in Baltimore County.
Education
Mo nique attended the Milford Mill High School in Baltimore County, she graduated in 1985. Later, she joined Morgan State University and gained her undergraduate degree in Broadcasting Institute of Maryland in 1987.
Profession
Mo nique began her career at MCI, a phone company in Hunt Valley, Maryland as a customer service representative.
However, her comedy career began when her brother, Steve, motivated her to go on stage at the downtown Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet during an open night event in 1988. The audience loved her first stage appearance.
Mo nique started opening for open mic at night while working in the company by day.
Later, because of her success in stand-up comedy, she left her job to pursue it full-time. She appeared in various open mic events alongside musicians and she appeared in shows like Comic View and Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam.
Net Worth
Mo nique’s total net worth is $13 million. This includes her income sources, brand value, and land assets.
Reason To Be Famous?
Mo nique first came into the limelight when she appeared in the television special Comic View. Later, she gained fame for her appearance in the UPN television series The Parkers in 1999.
Personal Life
Mo Nique met her first husband, Calvin Watkins, while they were in the broadcasting school. The couple married soon, and in 1990, they gave birth to their son Shalon Watkins Jr. However, the marriage wasn’t healthy, and Mo Nique described her relationship with Calvin as abusive. They divorced shortly after the accusations.
In 1997, Mo Nique married Mark Jackson. However, due to their incompatibility, they separated in 2001. They have two sons together.
Mo nique and her boyfriend, Sidney Hicks, gave birth to twins in 2005. The couple married each other in 2006.
Social Media Presence
Mo nique has accounts on the social media platforms X, formally named Twitter and Instagram. On X, with the username @moworldwide, she has 173.3K Followers. On Instagram, she has over 1.6M followers with the username @therealmoworldwide.
Controversies
In 2009, Mo nique appeared in the show, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. The show gained immense popularity due to Mo nique’s brilliant performance. However, She received unfair treatment from the show members like Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey. Thus, she declined to promote the show after she finished her contractual obligations.
Mo nique sued Netflix in 2019, claiming they were showing gender and racial bias against her for not paying equal money unlike, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and Kevin Hart. However, they resolved the issue and settled the lawsuit in private.
In 2024, Mo Nique received backlash for sharing screenshots of her conversations with her oldest son, Shalon. They used Instagram to argue back and forth publicly.
Conclusion
Mo Nique is a successful American actress and stand-up comedian who became a part of numerous controversies. However, she leads a successful career.