Friday, March 29, 2024

Gabrielle Union is ‘Exploring Her Legal Options’ After Being Dropped as Judge on ‘America’s Got Talent’

gabrielle union

*Gabrielle Union is reportedly “exploring her legal options against” NBC after she was let go from “America’s Got Talent” for complaining about the show’s toxic culture.

Sources tell Vulture’s Yashar Ali that the show’s creator and EP, Simon Cowell and his team of producers, labeled Union as “difficult” after she complained to NBC bosses about him smoking indoors in the theater where the show is filmed.

“Union, who is allergic to cigarette smoke, was repeatedly rebuffed when she asked other staff members to request that Cowell stop smoking inside,” reports Ali. “Sources say Union was told by an NBC executive and production staff on the program that no one could stop Cowell from smoking and that previous attempts by a fire marshal and NBC executives had been unsuccessful.”

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Union “further solidified” her “difficult” reputation by complaining about a seemingly racist joke Jay Leno said about Korean’s and dog-eating, and she called out a contestant for using “blackface hands” during his routine, Variety reported.

According to Ali, Union “would ask performers in drag what their pronouns were which annoyed/confused producers. I’m told by seven sources that Union was concerned about diversity to the point where producers saw it as inconvenient.”

Ali also noted on Twitter, “Simon Cowell maintains near total control over “America’s Got Talent,” and for years he has mostly had (except @MrsSOsbourne) judges who did what they were told and didn’t raise concerns about workplace incidents.”

He also alleges that Gabby annoyed producers by calling them out for pushing back on a 10-year-old Black rapper over a dance group from Texas made up of white contestants.

“The situation was so tense that Union was pushed by Cowell and his agents at CAA (which also represents Union) to meet with Cowell privately, along with her manager, in an attempt to patch things up, which sources told Vulture she did at his home last May,” reports Ali.

“It’s unclear how their conversation went, but the show then went on hiatus, and Union was let go ahead of filming for season 15. Now, Union is exploring her legal options against the network.”

Union has addressed her AGT ouster: “So many tears, so much gratitude,” she tweeted Wednesday night. “THANK YOU! Just when you feel lost, adrift, alone… you got me up off the ground. Humbled and thankful, forever.”

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