Mo'Nique's Brother Admits He Sexually Abused Her

By PopEater Staff Posted Apr 19th 2010 05:00PM

Gerald Imes, the brother of Oscar winner Mo'Nique, appeared on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' on Monday to apologize and admit he molested the actress when they were children. He told Winfrey the abuse went on for about a year or two and started when he was 13 and Mo'Nique was around 7 or 8.

"I abused and betrayed the trust of another sibling, my sister, my blood sister," Imes said. He apologized to the actress, saying, "I'm sorry, Mo'Nique. I'm sorry."

Imes said he decided to appear on Winfrey's show to apologize to Mo'Nique and bring their family back together. "I can only hope by coming forward that somewhere down the line, with the apology and the truth finally coming out after 37 years ... That as siblings, we can come back together as brother and sister."

He added, addressing his sister as if she were there: "It happened. I'm sorry that I was the one who did it to you. I understand your pain. Now let's share this together."

The actress did not comment on Imes' admission. Winfrey said that while Mo'Nique did not want to be interviewed for the show, she gave the talk host her blessing. "She said if your expressing what you had done to her could save one family then it would be worth it," Winfrey told Imes.

Imes said he himself was molested and he was using drugs and alcohol at age 11. "The drugs weren't an excuse," he said. "They just afforded me the opportunity to do the things that was (sic) in the back of my mind that I always wanted to do."

Mo'Nique has discussed her brother's molestation in previous interviews, most recently with Barbara Walters when she called her brother a "monster." One claim that Imes denied to Winfrey was that he used to lure his sister with candy.

"As inappropriate as it was. As humiliating as it was. I didn't groom her," he said. Winfrey then described "grooming" as the manipulative steps that abusers take to gain the trust of their victims, such as gift-giving.

Years after abusing his sister, Imes was convicted and served 12 years in prison for crimes unrelated to Mo'Nique. When asked by Winfrey how many people he has molested, Imes admitted to two victims.

Mo'Nique's parents also appeared on the episode. "It was such a heartbreaking thing to accept," said her mother, Alice Imes.

Mo'Nique received the supporting actress Academy Award in March for her role in 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire,' which was co-produced by Winfrey. Mo'Nique has said she channeled her experience of being molested into the role of the abusive mother she played in the film.

Tags: monique, oprah winfrey

Comments

(103)

Monday 19 April

By cznola

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It's a shame Monique's parents didn't "accept" it when she told them as a child. Strange that they're willing to now.

By rex

so cznola, why do you think their all on oprah expressing themselves when they can do it privately as a family.
you dont think that money may have something to do with it.
i would really like to see the size of the check that oprah wrote for this confession. no matter how many time someone says
that oprah didnt pay a thing i would never believe it and than i would think oprah was a liar

Tuesday 20 April

By r

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So who's worse: him and his parents or that fat OAF--RA for doing this

It's disgusting, claiming you are doing it under the guise of trying to help others.

They want to "know" Mo'Nique now because she's hit the top of the big time--an Oscar.............

And Winfrey is trying to cash in on it too...........

The whole thing is sickening.............

By RUEBEN FULLER

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Yea what you said may be true, but you gotta look at the situation as if you were a parent. I mean what parent is gonna think there child is being harmed by there own flesh and blood, well i would have a hard time accepting that.

By Linda

He owed his sister a private apology. Why did he feel the need to go on Oprah to tell her and the world. He is humiliating her further. This sicken's me!

By Marie

After decades of being called a liar and not being believed about being abused? Oh yeah, I would want my abuser to tell the entire world what a bastard he is/was. As harmful as being molested can be to an individual, not being believed by ones parents is worse...not having anywhere/anyone for the child to go to for safety allows the abuser to continue to abuse. It took me much longer to forgive my mother for not believing me or protecting me than it did for me to forgive the stepfather who abused me. That might not sound logical, but it is real.

By jannykmac

Because...this horrible stuff is occurring far more than our society is willing to admit!

By Apple

Wow...really did you read the article if Monique did not approve the interview would have not taken place. As the victum Monique has already been humiliated in private by what happen to her years ago in private. But what people fail to acknowledge is that this long ago private act of molestation took a very personal and public toll on anyone who has experienced such a depraved attack. Why should the molester be allowed to quietly and privately appologize. So you make me sick because you are to narrow minded to grasp the full extent of what was written and the gravity a public appology holds!

By memerle

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This is a very hard thing for a parent to deal with I hope this family can work it out

By J Hamilton

Admitting publicly, such horrible crimes does illustrate that these crimes are happening all around us and they are covered up. Many familys hide the shame by ignoring or denying it. When we grow older and can talk about it the public wonders why we humiliate each other.

An apology is an apology. It is recognition of wrong. It is not a just punishment if that is appropriate. No one has to accept an apology, that is their choice. Public apology sometimes shows the "public" that the victims were abused and eliminates all doubt and in their mind I hope. Case in point, the Catholic churches abuse of children. The Pope is admitting the abuse occurred and making public apologies while not righting the wrong, is a step in the right direction. The law suits continue, and will continue but the acknowledgement of wrong and an apology is a good beginning.

By kylia

I agree, I don't think if he cared he would have talked to his sister face to face rather than telling the whole world by going on oprah. As for oprah, she probally just to get the raitings. I don't know if you've heard but her show has been getting bad rating lately. I feel sorry for Mo'Nique.

By val

I totally agree. I did not get the chance to view Oprah today, but I feel that perhaps he felt so ugly inside and knowing that it had already been made public that he molested his sister. Perhaps he felt that he needed to do the same and make his statement public too. Maybe the one-on-one with Monique would have been very painful for both. He broke his silence, maybe both can verbalize together, allot of healing has to happen (with the help of God). I hope this is a move toward healing. I pry for the both of them.

By JoyRptr

Actually, she had already told the whole world what happened to her. It was part of her healing process. She deserved an apology. And after all the years of denial and lies on her families part, a public apology was needed....

By Bettye Blackmon

Kylia, had you ever met MO'Nique in person or attended some of her shows you would praise her for being a strong beautiful woman
who never wears her heart nor her hurts on her shoulders. As I said PRAISE her for years of keeping her best foot forward. That
monster of a brother of hers' should be arrested. He just wanted
to clear his conscience.

As for Oprah she has been on top for years. I do not think she
needs any ratings. She is rich rich. What about you? Are you rich or do you need to be rated. Oprah has been molested herself
and so have I. Thank God, we three women are STRONG.

By sahra

they should have discuss this as a family not in public, and if Iam not wrong the article says he was 13 and she was 7 or 8 why she didn't told her family what happen and why wait until 15. even 4 yrs old know what is wrong and what is right. I watched the show and i hate to see her parents support him and not her. it is discusting sibling molesting eachother and parents molesting their own. what a culture!!!!!!!!!!!!.

By Janeyre

What makes you think this is Culture? This is about one family. Not a culture by any means. If I were Mo'Nique, I wouldn't have
anything to do with them. Her brother stinks and isn't worth talking to.

By Marsha

He's still not being totally honest. Mo'nique has said the molestation started when she was 7 and ended when she was 11. Why did he say it was for 1 or 2 years?

By jon

duh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! because there was no Oprah back then. And O was still an unknown. Not the sappy, pull at your heart strings sensationlist she is today.

By Anil

I haven't yet talked about what happened to me as a boy of 11 for five years. It is painful to let your family know that something so bad has happened to you and that too by someone who did it when you had looked upto that person as your 'hero'

By erin

unforgivable....that is something you can't ever take back even if you apologize for it, it will always be there

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