REALITY TVGabrielle Union Spills Details Of Racist Treatment On ’America’s Got Talent’
Gabrielle Union recently negotiated a settlement with America's Got Talent network NBC in regards to her allegations of racist behavior and misconduct on the set of the hit reality show, where she formerly served as a judge.
Now, she's spilling specific details of what exactly went on behind the scenes that triggered her formal complaint.
In a new interview with Marie Claire magazine, Union explains that she endured a series of "microaggressions," with a particular focus on how she styled her hair for the show.
Producers allegedly termed her different looks "too wild," which Union interpreted as a euphemism for being too Black. She had plenty to tell the outlet regarding her feelings on this treatment.
"I should be able to exist however the f**k I want to exist," Union asserted. "Because if you’re hiring Gabrielle Union for my talent, then my talent is going to come out of my body in every way, shape, and incarnation that I can imagine. You’re getting more bang for your buck the more you allow me to exist as I see fit."
She also allegedly endured other toxic incidents, such as rude jokes by guest judge Jay Leno targeting Asians, as well as personal issues including judge Simon Cowell flagrantly ignoring her allergy to cigarette smoke.
The 47-year-old actress says that systemic racism and institutions, as well as the fear of being blackballed, are responsible for keeping so many people in the entertainment industry quiet regarding the kinds of transgressions she describes in her complaint.
"They want you to feel like 'It’s not me, it’s you, you’re crazy, you’re doing something that’s causing this, you are complicit,'" she noted. "You are not going to gaslight me into minimizing my trauma, which is exactly what allows this to continue on for the next person."
Union was fired as a Season 14 judge from the show last September. Her dismissal was investigated by NBC earlier this year; the network says it uncovered no wrongdoing and that it had reached an amicable resolution with her.
