Gabrielle Union filed a complaint Thursday with the point out of California from NBC and the producers of America’s Got Talent, the latest transfer in a struggle more than her allegations that she was fired for objecting to an on-set environment that tolerated racism.
The complaint filed with the Office of Fair Employment and Housing states Union was harassed and discriminated from mainly because of her race, and seasoned retaliation for reporting these challenges.
The doc enumerates formerly described problems that Union, who is black, experienced with the show’s acceptance of racist jokes and remarks from judges, and cites criticism she received about her hair in the course of tapings.
“Union, a black lady, was singled out because of to her bodily visual appeal and discriminated from by NBC because of to the fact that her hair did not suit in just the white image that NBC seemingly sought to express to the audience of AGT,” the complaint states, adding that a network govt and a present producer “educated Union’s supervisor that her hair was ‘too wild’ and that it necessary to be ‘toned down.”‘
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The complaint also has new allegations that NBC Leisure Chairman Paul Telegdy identified as Union’s brokers to situation unspecified threats, shared private details on the controversy with celebrities that the present was seeking to seek the services of and sought to undermine an investigation of Union’s problems.
“The allegation that anybody concerned in this system threatened Ms. Union is categorically untrue,” the network’s dad or mum business NBCUniversal said in a assertion.
“We took Ms. Union’s worries seriously, and engaged an outside the house investigator who uncovered an overarching society of range on the present.”
That outside the house investigation commissioned by the network and producers, whose results ended up announced very last week, uncovered Union’s allegations ended up unfounded, and experienced no bearing on the selection to fall her as a choose. The evaluate acknowledged unspecified “locations in which reporting processes could be improved.”
Union, an actor-producer recognized for her roles in the movies Carry It On and Poor Boys II and Television collection these types of as Remaining Mary Jane and L.A.’s Very best, appeared on the talent showcase for a season, right until she and fellow freshman choose Julianne Hough were not requested to return.
Union’s lawyer Bryan Freedman states the “racial bullying” she received stands in contrast to the network’s modern statements about currently being outraged by racism and standing with Black Lives Matter.
“When Gabrielle Union educated NBC of racially offensive carry out in the course of the taping of America’s Got Talent, NBC did not ‘stand’ with her in ‘outrage at acts of racism,”‘ Freedman said in a assertion.
“In its place, NBC did not care sufficient to both immediately look into Ms. Union’s complaints or even check with HR to get concerned. Alternatively, NBC stood from her and directed its “outrage” at Ms. Union for whistleblowing about the racially offensive carry out she seasoned.”
NBCUniversal’s assertion states the business “stays committed to making an inclusive and supportive operating environment in which persons of all backgrounds are addressed with regard.”