Yesterday, as many of you might have heard and/or seen, Oprah Winfrey conducted a very interesting interview with talk show host and Academy Award-winning actress Mo’Nique’s brother, Gerald Imes, who has finally decided to come forth with the truth about his history of molesting his sister when they were young.
After denying the truth for years, yesterday Imes told Oprah, “I abused and betrayed the trust of another sibling, my sister, my blood sister.” Actress Mo’Nique is even said to have given her brother the blessing of appearing on Oprah’s show to discuss how the molestation began when he was 13 and Mo’Nique was about 7 or 8. He apologized to his sister, saying “I’m sorry, Mo’Nique. I’m sorry.”
Audiences all over the world are submitting their thoughts and perspectives on whether or not he was sincere in his apology on the show yesterday. In hopes of reuniting the family and reconciling with his sister, Imes also said he himself was molested and he was using drugs and alcohol at age 11. Check out the link and the video clips below to see what happened for yourself then post your comments as well.
Video clips and more interview footage available at Oprah.com with details on why Gerald Imes decided to tell his side of the story.
Some say he’s attempting to cash in on multiple deals to exploit the story and his relationship with Mo’Nique while others say he’s trying to close a horrible chapter in both of their lives and ultimately move on from it.
Did you catch the interview? What did you think? How must we handle these types of situations in the media and in our own individual communities to make sure the cycle of molestation, pedophilia and incest doesn’t continue?
