Though 2024 has been a whirlwind of chaos for many people, it seems things have finally calmed down between director Lee Daniels and Mo’Nique.
If you’ll remember, the relationship between to two went south 13 years ago when Mo’Nique accused Lee (along with Oprah and Tyler Perry) of blackballing her in the industry after she opted out of participating of the press awards campaign for Precious—the 2009 film she would later win an Oscar for.
However, sparks that things were changing between the two became more than evident back in 2022 when Lee appeared onstage at at her Mo’Nique and Friends: April Fools Day with The Queen of Comedy show in Staten Island. It was there that he publicly apologized for “hurting you in any way that I did.”
By all accounts, it seems like that apology was the start of something new as production for his forthcoming film, The Deliverance—starring Mo’Nique—began later that same year. And while Lee expounded on being reunited with The Parkers actress in a previous interview, his latest post to Instagram reaffirmed their commitment to creating art and rekindling their friendship.
“At dinner here on our first press day for The Deliverance, it got me reflecting on the 25-year friendship I’ve had with the actor @therealmoworldwide. Like any REAL friendship, it’s one that’s stood the test of times. AND BOY HAVE OUR TIMES BEEN TESTED,” Lee captioned.
He continued:
From our first film, Shadowboxer, to our second film, Precious, into #TheDeliverance, she continues to amaze me at the depths of where she goes. It’s like she has a bottomless pit of emotions to play with. I can’t wait for you to see her as you’ve never seen her before. She’s Cynthia, the concerned kickass social worker.
Per the film’s official description, The Deliverance tells the fictional story of Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mother fighting her personal demons, who moves her family into a new home for a fresh start. But when strange occurrences inside the home raise the suspicions of Child Protective Services and threaten to tear the family apart, Ebony soon finds herself locked in a battle for her life and the souls of her children.
The film hits theaters on Aug. 16 and streams on Netflix Aug. 30.