Janet Mock, an executive producer and director of the FX drama Pose, left co-stars, network executives and reporters stunned at the show’s premiere Thursday night by announcing a sweeping and startlingly fiery speech.
During the 15-minute speech, she complained about how much the network was paying her, called for better treatment for the trans community, shouted “F-ck Hollywood,” and revealed that she had slept with someone on the show’s crew, she asked “Pose” actor friend not to let her know about the infidelity, denied the quality of the writing on the show and had a brief chat with co-creator and Hollywood mogul Ryan Murphy from the stage.
At the beginning of her talk, 38-year-old Mock asked aloud, “Why do I make $ 40,000 an episode? Huh? ”
“I’m angry!” She said, asking for more money and perks than other TV managers.
The Jazz room at Lincoln Center went completely silent when Mock called out, “F – k Hollywood … Does this make you feel uncomfortable? It should. It should make you shiver in your motherf king boots. That speaks the truth. This is ‘pose’. “
Next, Mock complained about the quality of the male writer’s material in the series’ first two episodes, and then reached out to Murphy. He said, “They brought … girls in to help you.”
“Who brought the girls in?” She asked him. “I did,” Murphy replied, “I wanted the girls to be there.”
But the speech took an even more personal turn when Mock asked friend Angel Bismark Curiel to “get up … right now!”
Bismark Curiel got up nervously and Mock said to the crowd, “Let me tell you about love.”
“Today I wanted to leave [Angel] Go, ”she said. “I wanted to let you go, right, but what did I do? I fucked someone on the crew, right? “
At the reveal, one of the show’s guest stars was heard gasping and asked, “What the hell is going on?”
“Angel, angel. I am not losing you You hear me? You are very important to me, ”Mock continued. “I don’t want to live alone in a house. I want you. You idiot. Exactly there. I want that. I get what is mine. ”
Janet Mock admitted in her speech that she cheated on her boyfriend Angel Bismark.Getty Images
Mock then apologized to composer Our Lady J – a producer and writer on “Pose” – saying she was trying to downsize it in order to “make me bigger”.
“I did it, all of you. I forgot who the hell I was. They want me to come here and pretend I do, ”she said. “I don’t need Hollywood, honey. You know why? Because I am free. ”
Mock provided some inspirational words for cast members – including Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, and MJ Rodriguez, the show’s lead actress – before returning to the industry.
“It’s a show, but it means so much to everyone, ‘making sure we enable black and brown trans women to do it’ because that sounds good,” she said sarcastically. “It makes you comfortable to talk like that, because then I won’t frighten you to face the king’s truth. They all stepped on us. “
From left: Janet Mock, Ryan Murphy, Dominique Jackson and MJ Rodriguez.Getty Images for VH1 Trailblazer
A source who worked with Mock told Page 6 that she appeared “emotionally awkward” and suggested that her revelation about their relationship may have been the cause.
“She seemed almost immediately remorseful about what she aired publicly,” they said.
A visibly shaken Mock admitted that she feared direct speaking might have ruined her career, although some in the room had her back, like Jackson shouting from the audience, “Thank you for speaking for me!”
Mock was supposed to be promoting the show on “Good Morning America” on Friday, but insiders told us the show was canceled after she gave her speech.
Mock did not contact us and her staff did not comment.
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