*Simon Cowell has lawyered up for what could be a messy legal battle with Gabrielle Union following her ouster at “America’s Got Talent.”
Cowell, who is the creator of the show as well as co-judge, has hired Hollywood litigator Larry Stein after Union threatened legal action against his company Syco, which co-produces the show, Variety reports.
Union put NBC (which airs the show) and Cowell on blast last week after she was fired as co-judge for complaining about the sexist and racist environment on set. Insiders claimed the actress’ contract was terminated because she spoke up about the “toxic” culture behind the scenes.
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Howard Stern, a former AGT judge, addressed the scandal on Monday’s episode of his radio show, accusing Cowell of “orchestrating” Union and Julianna Hough’s termination, as he was looking to add “hotter chicks and younger chicks” to the series.
“How is it that Simon Cowell has orchestrated this?” Stern asked. “He sets it up that the men stay, no matter how ugly they are, no matter how old they are, no matter how fat they are, no matter how talentless they are.”
Per Variety:
Union and Hough were also said by sources to have received excessive notes on their physical appearance. Two insiders familiar with the set said Hough had received consistent criticism on hair, makeup and wardrobe, which impacted her morale and led to tensions. Hough denied this in a statement to Variety as not accurate to her experience.
Meanwhile, Union was reportedly told her clothes and hairstyle were “too black.”
Following the Variety report, Union met with NBC, production company Fremantle, and Syco Entertainment to express her “unfiltered truth.”
Cowell did not attend the meeting, which, according to an NBC spokesperson, was both “candid and productive.”
“While there will be a further investigation to get a deeper understanding of the facts, we are working with Gabrielle to come to a positive resolution,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
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