Here’s a rumor I hope isn’t true. As we just reported a few stories ago, MO’NIQUE was absent from the showing of her new film Precious over the weekend at the New York Film Festival. Now logic would tell you that she missed the screening – where the flick isn’t in competition – due to the fact that her new talk show preems tonight on BET and it tapes in Los Angeles.

But acc0rding to a NY Daily News report, there may be a more deliberate reason why the veteran comedian hasn’t participated in the numerous publicity events surrounding the film that’s said to change the way you look at her.

“Mo’Nique said she signed on to do this film for a small amount of money. She said she didn’t care about ‘no Oscar’ – all that mattered was ‘those Benjamins!’ Because Oprah and Tyler Perry are backing the film, she feels as though there should be a budget to pay for her promotional duties”

This, coming from a unnamed source inside Lionsgate Films (the studio behind the buzzworthy flick), combined with the rumored $100,000 appearance fee Mo’Nique asked for (and didn’t get) may in fact wind up costing her her Oscar moment. But it looks like that might not even be a moment Mo is all that interested in.

“When people say, ‘You care more about money than winning an Oscar,’ well, what does an Oscar mean? An Oscar means more work when you win it, and that means more money! I couldn’t eat that Oscar. Everybody needs money, baby. That’s how we survive, right?”

That was supposedly Mo’Nique’s response when asked about her jeopardizing behavior. Again, I hope this is all but one big rumor and that Mo’Nique, the mother of four, wouldn’t be that narrow to self-sabotage like this. Then again, stranger things have happened.

The Mo’Nique Show preems tonight on BET.