Gabrielle Union Breaks Her Silence On The Toxic Work Environment On ‘America’s Got Talent’ After Investigation Results Released

Published on May 28, 2020.

Just half a year after news first broke of Gabrielle Union’s abrupt exit from American’s Got Talent, the actress is finally addressing the controversy in full detail.

Last year, it was confirmed that new judges Union and Julianne Hough would not be returning for America’s Got Talent‘s 15th season, which premiered this week. The pair were replaced by returning judge Heidi Klum and new panelist Sofia Vergara.

Want the Top 5 news stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox before you even wake up? Sign up for the Fame10 Top 5 newsletter and receive 5 breaking news stories every morning!

Days following the initial report, Variety published a piece which claimed Union had expressed concerns over alleged racial insensitivity on set, and that both women said they were subjected to “excessive notes” on their physical appearances. (Though, in a statement at the time, denied that she had a negative experience on the talent competition show and said she was “happy to continue my working relationship with NBC.”)

Now, Union is at the front of Variety‘s latest cover, sharing her story for the first time about her one-season stint on America’s Got Talent.

“I signed up for the experience of being a part of a show that hails itself as the biggest stage in the world. Super diverse, and one about giving people an opportunity to shine where they otherwise probably wouldn’t,” Union said. “What could go wrong?”

According to the former judge, things went wrong almost right away, when she witnessed series creator and star Simon Cowell smoking on a closed soundstage during her first day on the America’s Got Talent set. Union, who is severely allergic to cigarette smoke, according to Variety, said her decision to complain was a difficult choice for someone being “literally met with the very definition of a toxic work environment … carried out by the most powerful person on the production.”

“I couldn’t escape. I ended up staying sick for two months straight,” Union said. “It was a cold that lingered, and turned into bronchitis, because I couldn’t shake it. It impacted my voice, which affects my ability to do my job.”

“It was challenging to tend to my illness without being made to feel like I’m responsible for my own sickness,” she continued. “It put me in a position from day one where I felt othered. I felt isolated. I felt singled out as being difficult, when I’m asking for basic laws to be followed. I want to come to work and be healthy and safe and listened to.”

“Do I cave? I didn’t feel like myself; I’m shape-shifting to make myself more palatable. I’m contorting myself into something I don’t recognize,” Union confessed. “I had to look at myself and say, ‘Do you want to keep it easy? Or do you want to be you, and stand up?’ Because I’m not the only one being poisoned at work.”

The actress said she addressed the issue with the show’s producers, who said complaints had been made in the past to essentially no avail.

Cowell’s spokesperson told Variety on his behalf that “when he was directly informed of the smoking complaint during the first couple of days of the season, he immediately changed his behavior and the issue was never raised again.”

Union also addressed an incident with, at the time, guest judge Jay Leno, who allegedly made a joke about a painting of Cowell and his dogs, saying the animals looked like food items at a Korean restaurant.

“My first big interview in this industry, the first person who allowed me to come on their talk show, was Jay Leno. I’ve always held him in high regard, but I was not prepared for his joke,” Union said. “I gasped. I froze. Other things had already happened, but at this point, it was so wildly racist.”

Another incident on set involved a white male contestant who put on black gloves to represent a black performer. The Bring It On star said she was concerned that any expression of blackface was not immediately shut down. According to Union, the act was initially flagged as problematic, but the contestant was cleared to proceed and audition.

“I’m a part of a show that hired one of my co-workers who had an unfortunate incident doing blackface,” Union said, referring Hough being photographed at a 2013 Halloween party with darkened skin for her costume as Orange Is the New Black‘s Uzo Aduba. Hough issued an apology after receiving backlash, tweeting, “It certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way. I realize my costume hurt and offended people and I truly apologize.”

“I’d like to trust her at her word that she learned her lesson, and has educated herself amid the consequences she faced and is hopefully a better person,” the actress continued. “But you would think that perhaps the show and NBC might be more conscientious in exposing that, and it would be taken seriously. I took it seriously.”

Union and Hough’s exit from America’s Got Talent launched an internal investigation of NBC and production companies Fremantle and Syco Entertainment. The three companies issued a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday, May 27, saying:

“We have a shared passion to make America’s Got Talent a positive, inclusive and diverse show that is open to all individuals from any country or background. We are proud and grateful that our contestants and audiences support our ongoing mission, which is represented in the incredible people who participate in the show each year. We have heard from contestants and talent alike that their experience on AGT has had a positive impact on their lives. When we heard Ms. Union had concerns about her time on the show, we took them extremely seriously.”

“NBC, Fremantle and Syco immediately engaged an outside investigator who conducted more than 30 interviews to review the issues raised by Ms. Union. While the investigation has demonstrated an overall culture of diversity, it has also highlighted some areas in which reporting processes could be improved.”

Sources, at the time, told Variety that Union’s rotating hairstyles were deemed by production as “too black” for mass audiences. Although Union did not address that specific incident in the new Variety interview, Fremantle, Syco and NBC denied the allegation:

“Through the investigation process, it has been revealed that no one associated with the show made any insensitive or derogatory remarks about Ms. Union’s appearance, and that neither race nor gender was a contributing factor in the advancement or elimination of contestants at any time. The investigation has shown that the concerns raised by Ms. Union had no bearing on the decision not to exercise the option on her contract.”

“NBC, Fremantle and Syco share Ms. Union’s dedication to diversity and inclusion in the industry. We continue to remain committed to having an inclusive environment for everyone associated with the show, and to upholding AGT as one of the most diverse programs on television.”

In the end, Union said that she felt compelled to speak out about her experience with America’s Got Talent.