*Comedian Mo’Nique cherishes her role as a mother to her three sons—Shalon, from her first marriage to Calvin Watkins, and twins Jonathan and David, born in 2005 to her and her current husband, Sidney Hicks, whom she married in 2006. As PEOPLE reports, her journey through motherhood has been one of growth, reflection, and prioritizing family over fame.
In her early career, Mo’Nique admitted to prioritizing stardom over parenting. On The David Banner Podcast in March 2020, she confessed, “I was interested in being a star, and I was interested in being famous. And I wasn’t interested in being a wife.”
This focus impacted her relationship with Shalon. Their relationship faced challenges, culminating in a public dispute in February 2024. On Club Shay Shay, Mo’Nique addressed their estrangement, saying, “We’re still very much separated, and it’s one of those things where you have to pray to the universe and say let time do the healing, and that’s it.” Shalon countered on TikTok, claiming, “Neither one of us cares to put forth any effort to reconcile with the other.”
As we reported earlier, the two recently reconciled, with Shalon stating in a video shared online: “I’m gonna start this off by showing my gratitude towards my family. The amount of patience and grace that they have all showed me, especially during times where I did not deserve it. It is appreciated more than I can ever express in words,” he said, Vibe reports.
“Having that family discussion was hard and it felt like I spiritually got jumped, but at the end of the a** whooping, my family did pick me up and give me a hug,” Shalon added. He also praised Mo’Nique’s devotion, noting, “The love my mother has for her family and the way she loves life is a testament to her husband.”
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Meanwhile, with her twins, Jonathan and David, Mo’Nique took a different approach. Born prematurely at 3 lbs. 12 oz. and 4 lbs., respectively, they required early hospital care. Learning from her past, she prioritized their upbringing, even declining international promotions for “Precious” in 2009 to stay home.
In March 2023, she told The Hollywood Reporter, “It was my third marriage. My second round of children. So I understood by then that when you sacrifice everything for a place called Hollywood, you wind up being by yourself.”
Now attending Clark Atlanta University after graduating high school in 2023, Jonathan and David support their mother’s career, attending her comedy shows since turning 18. Mo’Nique shared their pride on Instagram, captioning a photo, “Tonight was something SPECIAL. This was [the] first time my sons saw their Mommy perform live. WOW!!!! SO PROUD!!”
Family moments, from Turks and Caicos vacations to Disney trips, underscore her commitment to togetherness, as she emphasized in a 2024 Instagram post: “Family trips, they’re important, they’re needed, they keep the family together.”
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