Gabrielle Union‘s firing from America’s Got Talent snowballed fast. It was announced that she and Julianne Hough would not be returning and there were whispers that it was because Gabrielle complained about workplace racial issues she witnessed, including racist jokes and sexist remarks. Well, now NBC is scrambling into damage control mode and Gabrielle isn’t making it any easier for them. Meanwhile, Jay Leno, who allegedly made a racist joke on-set, is speaking about it.
People says that yesterday, AGT, Simon Cowell‘s Syco Entertainment and NBC’s Freemantle, released a joint statement defending themselves. At the end of last week, reports were flooding in from a variety of sources with all these dark stories of work life on AGT. There was a story about Jay Leno making a joke about Koreans eating dogs on camera, which was cut. There were stories about Gabrielle being told her hair was “too black” and Julianne getting notes about her looks. There was also a claim that Gabrielle was labeled “difficult” when she complained that Simon’s smoking inside bothered her since she’s allergic to cigarette smoke.
The new statement mentions none of that, and says that everyone involved in the show is “committed” to a “respectful workplace.” They also claim that they’re working with Gabrielle’s people about her complains.
“We remain committed to ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees and take very seriously any questions about workplace culture. We are working with Ms. Union through her representatives to hear more about her concerns, following which we will take whatever next steps may be appropriate.”
Gabrielle previously spoke out about this, thanking her supporters. She also hit up Twitter to co-sign a comment about NBC’s statement:
This! This! AND THIIISSSSSSS!!!!!! https://t.co/RCrtKtkQ4L
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) December 1, 2019
Come on, just @AGT them next time, Gabrielle.
TMZ says that Jay Leno was asked about his Korean joke and Gabrielle Union by the paparazzi while leaving the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, CA and he said:
“I love Gabrielle Union, she’s a great girl. I really enjoyed working with her; she’s really good.”
Jay may not have an opinion on how fairly Gabrielle was treated at AGT, but SAG-AFTRA is interested in forming an opinion of its own. They’ve announced an investigation into the matter.
Since SAG-AFTRA is looking into what’s happening at AGT, including producers allegedly commenting on the judges’ looks, maybe SAG-AFTRA can take their investigation even further by looking into a mystery that’s been plaguing the internet for months: The Case Of Simon Cowell’s Changing Face.
Pic: Wenn.com