Editing Mo'Nique (section)

==Early life==
Mo'Nique was born on December 11, 1967, in Woodlawn, [[Baltimore County]], Maryland,<ref name="GoldenGlobes"/> the daughter of engineer Alice Imes and drug counselor Steven Imes Jr.<ref name="ref1">{{cite news|last=John-Hall|first=Annette|title=Proudly 'phat' actress has a new, plus-sized role|publisher=AZ Central.com|date=April 8, 2006|url=https://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/0408monique0408.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070119200628/http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/0408monique0408.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 19, 2007|access-date=December 16, 2009}}</ref> She is the youngest of four children.  Mo'Nique graduated from [[Milford Mill High School]] in Baltimore County in 1985<ref>{{cite web |access-date=December 13, 2015 |title=monique imes Milford Mill High School/Academy '85 BALTIMORE, MD
|publisher=[[classmates.com]]
|url=http://www.classmates.com/people/monique-imes/13133192327}}</ref> and attended [[Morgan State University]].<ref name="ref2">{{cite news|last=Crockett|first=Sandra|title=Comedian has fine time just being Mo'Nique Laughing out LOUD|work=The Sun|date=November 19, 1994|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/111908356.html?dids=111908356%3A111908356&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=Nov+19%2C+1994&author=Sandra+Crockett&pub=The+Sun&desc=Comedian+has+fine+time+just+being+Mo%27Nique+Laughing+out+LOUD&pqatl=google|access-date=December 16, 2009|archive-date=July 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724231304/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/111908356.html?dids=111908356%3A111908356&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=Nov+19%2C+1994&author=Sandra+Crockett&pub=The+Sun&desc=Comedian+has+fine+time+just+being+Mo%27Nique+Laughing+out+LOUD&pqatl=google|url-status=dead}}</ref> She is a 1987 graduate of the [[Broadcasting Institute of Maryland]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bim.org/news.php |title= Broadcasting Institute of Maryland |access-date= March 4, 2011 |archive-date= February 27, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110227034515/http://www.bim.org/news.php |url-status= dead }}</ref>

Before she was an actress, Monique worked as a customer service representative at the phone company [[MCI Communications|MCI]] in [[Hunt Valley, Maryland]].<ref name=oprah28>''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'', Interview with the cast of ''[[Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins]]''. Original air date January 28, 2008.</ref> She got her start in comedy at the downtown Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet when her brother Steve dared her to perform at an [[open mic]] night.

During a 2008 ''[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]'' magazine interview, Mo'Nique revealed that she was sexually abused by her brother Gerald from ages 7 to 11; he went on to sexually abuse another girl and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. After her twin boys were born in 2005, Mo'Nique cut off all contact with Gerald. On April 19, 2010, he admitted on ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show|Oprah]]'' to sexually abusing her over several years. He also was abused by family members and struggled with substance abuse.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/moniques-brother-gerald-imes-apologizes-precious-star-sexual/story?id=10414287|title=Mo'Nique's Brother, Gerald Imes, Apologizes to Precious Star for Sexual Abuse|work=ABC News|access-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref>