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 LadyV

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I am so tired of people talking about hiding stuff and keeping this type of abuse private. If you have never had it happen to you, of course it is easy to say keep it private. Yes, it is definitely ugly. However as long as it is kept private, predators like him will continue to terrorize children. I for one am glad that I told it. To the writer who wanted to know why she waited until age 15 to say anything, if it happened to you, you would not have been so quick to say anything at first too. It is a very degrading, humiliating and shameful thing to go through. You do not know what he told her to keep quiet. Don't be so quick to judge the length of time it takes for a victim to open up and tell what happened. If you have not been through it, you would not understand.

By Suzi

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How convenient for him that he admits now what he did to his sister (past the statute of limitations). I was really moved by Mo'nique in her role as the mother of Precious. The part where she sat in conference with Precious and the counselor (Mariah Carey) totally brought me to tears. She was so credible and moving that I came away feeling surely to G-- that she had experienced some part of a similar event in her own life.

By msknozit

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I don't understand why this family chose to air their dirty laundry out in public. Monique herself said her brother came to see her when she delivered her twins, which means he has had opportunity to apologize in private. Putting this horrible family tragedy on public display will not aide in its healing, but has made it a impossible to move forward.

Tuesday 20 April

By santheman

This S.O.B. is on the defense therefore he believes no harm done. It would be so different if he were sincere, but he's all about him.

By reybasura

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Oprah is Jerry Springer Lite....tacky, trashy, tasteless....since she is responsible for the Obama bomb, her ratings are tanking and she is showing some real crap....I stopped watching her long ago...I slowly began to see her as a phony crap peddler and then she went the Obama route. I thought it greatly unfair and wrong to weild her power in favor of Obama just because she liked his color and abandoned the woman candidate...so much for her empowering women...now watching that low-life admit he molested his sister, boy, that's entertainment...and Monique's tacky oscar speech...another low life...can you imagine every Jew who won an award lambasting Germany....attacking later generations for prior generations' sins is not relevant and shows a lack of education and intelligence. They should all hang out together and air their dirty linen amongst themselves.

By No1'sname

What you are saying makes no sense. I see that you are all about negativity. Ignorant is & stupid does, sir!

By gayle

@reybasura
I will agree that Oprahs rating havent been the same after her Obama endorsement. But that was just timing. She was gonna make a move anyway. Oprah is very smart. Believe me she knew a head of time that she would lose a lot of her white suburban female audience for not going the Palin route.
As for Mo'Nique. What part of her speech did you hear that was attacking the "present generation"?! I felt her speech to be very sincere and heartfelt.
Stop trying to play the race card. Let's keep it real!

By Bleu

It is disgusting that idiots who have no concept of what it means to raise a child just keep on populating. Her parents, at best, are neglectful and abusive for not listening to what their daughter told them she experienced. Her brother should hang his head in shame and have his penis removed to show how sorry he really is. The whole thing is repulsive and I won't be watching her show anymore. This should have been kept private. What kind of family raises males to want to rape their own sister? I know it never happened in my neighborhood.

By jim

He was a kid. It's not like he done this as an adult that knows better. The person he is now is not the immature child he was then. We have all done things we regret. If he done such a thing as an adult that would be unforgivable.If I were him I wouldn't beat myself up over it.We hopefully evolve as we get older and learn from our mistakes.

By Amelia

he raped and beat his step-daughter (when he was an adult)

Maybe Monique wasn't ready to accept her brother's apology. She probably isn't ready to face him right now. Some people don't realize how this affects young children when they were & are being a victim of molestation. We teach are children not to let anyone touch them inappropiately nut when it's done by a family member who we trust not to hurt us in any way the pain runs deeper. It doesn't matter if he was paid to admit that he is a child molester as long as these confessions can help another child. I thank Oprah for addressing this issue because as I'm typing this there another child/children being molested. We can not sweep this under the rug & hope that it goes away because it doesn't. Our children are the most trusting & innocent victims of this crime & we as parents need to listen to our children before their life's are destroyed! Monique's brother needs to seek help & maybe her & her parents need family counseling. God bless you Monique & Oprah.

By p

I don't care if Opreeeeee received Monique' blessing to interview the brother that molested her.
OPREeeeee EXPLOITS many of her guests, under the GUISE of getting the info out there. Don't be fooled, she does these interviews just for RATINGS !!!! She has a nasty soul IMO.

Why is it her family " NOW " believes their daughter ???? Do I smell money ???
Monique ought to XXXXX her family out of her life.

By JoyRptr

Bleu said, "What kind of family raises males to want to rape their own sister? I know it never happened in my neighborhood."

People like you, who are unable and unwilling to see the truth because it offends you are the reason stuff like this IS happening in your neighborhood--behind closed door, in secret, never talked about and/or believed. Closing your eyes and ears only makes it easier for the predators to operate.

Probably your daddy, buggbenji! lmao

By chelle333able

May God bless Monique! Its amazing that she didnt let that incident affect her life. Shes a strong woman and a positive role-model.I dont think an apology would resolve that matter. Its good that he admits to what he has done. I know that she has forgiven him for what he has done to her so may GOD bless her heart.

Benjibugg, although your personal knowlege of incest is probably vast (your family tree is most likely branchless) please go away...

By omg

I could not believe what I was watching. How dare anyone get on national tv. and showboat about rape and incest? How dare Oprah give this creepy family more publicity? This fool has been convicted of this type of crime and sits there getting off to the retelling of his vile disgusting acts. The brother was pathetic with his stupid grin and dismissive snarky remarks. This is the story for the VICTIM to tell, not for this disgusting so called family. My only question is, how did Mo'Nique survive? Oprah, shame on you for not going off on these perverts!

Frank said, "this is just typical behavior by these people."

These people? Oooookay.....

Adding the name "aperah" seems to suggest you are trying to make a point about this being a "black thing". So, a few months ago when a certain white celeb spoke out about her "relationship" with her white celeb father I suppose I missed the story about her secretly being black?
You are a moron.

By Cutie

Is there any celebrity out there who hasn't been raped, beaten, on drugs, going to rehab, cheating on their spouse, suffering from this phobia or that phobia??? Entertainment people should go back to school or send their kids to college, break the circle of idiocy.

By JoseLizette in nj philly

i like when one thing waS StaTed by his mother is the fact when a little boy or a girl"say this abuse sexual happen to them"usually?
it has.
i know only 1 person it has not when the girl done lie got the boy in trouble say she did it ONLY to keep her parent together.so some kids at time do lie about being abuse sexually etc. but i am happy to say most do not as this JERK did not should be in jail but from the look of his high price taylor possibly made expensive gear on i say he doin just FINE.and shame on mo'nique parent if at the time they LET HIM BACK HOME SO FAST i hear too going to watch the rest of OPRAH LATE NIGHT ENCORE ON ABC at 1 in the morning in the ny nj tri-state philly area i see it some at 4
but not all had to get to work.some kid at times lie sure they do
i had a family member who did told me flat out i lie to keep my
folks together etc. in her family(MY 1ST COUSIN delia)but then told truth later.but yep YOUR most times as kid telling the truth
statistic do show.and this man should be in jail if he did it as he saying he did NOT on oprah couch chillin.but the fact it is i guess OLD NEWS to him and the parents i guess let by gone by gone
huh.i oould not let by gone be by gones at all
hell no.

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