MO’NIQUE IS suing Netflix for pay discrimination after the streaming service offered to pay her $500,000 for a one-hour comedy special, while other comedians were given multi-million dollar contracts.

The Oscar-winning actress alleges that the streaming service discriminated against her on the grounds of her race and gender.

In an Instagram post, the comedian confirmed the news of the legal action.

She wrote: “I can confirm that today I filed a pay discrimination lawsuit against Netflix. I had a choice to make: I could accept what I felt was pay discrimination or I could stand up for those who came before me and those who will come after me.”

“The terms of Netflix’s offer to Mo’Nique were discriminatory based on her gender and race/color,” CNN reported the suit states.

It adds that when compared to the deals signed by comedians including Chris Rock, Amy Schumer and Ellen DeGeneres, “the offer tried to perpetuate the drastic pay gap experience by black women”.

“When the talent was not a black woman, Netflix offered to pay, and did pay, astronomically more than it pays to black women like it offered to Mo’Nique,” NBC News reported the suit states.

Netflix denies the allegations.

A Netflix spokesperson told NBC News: “We care deeply about inclusion, equity, and diversity and take any accusations of discrimination very seriously.

“We believe our opening offer to Mo’Nique was fair — which is why we will be fighting this lawsuit.”

Last year Mo’Nique urged her supporters to boycott Netflix over the amount she was offered for the comedy special.

As well as focusing on her pay dispute with Netflix, the filing also accuses the company of being “plagued by a lack of racial diversity within senior leadership”.