Gabrielle Union is to meet with NBC this week to discuss her departure from ‘America’s Got Talent’.
The 47-year-old actress has left the programme after just one season and will sit with the outside legal team recently retained by the network to talk about her concerns over the "toxicity" surrounding the show, following reports she had complained about racial bias and discrimination.
The purpose of the meeting is to improve the culture and atmosphere on the set of the show and even if she’s offered her job back, Gabrielle won’t be returning.
A source told Deadline: "Gabrielle believes there is a toxicity that has become normalised at Talent.
"She wants to help fix that, because she loved a lot of her time on the show last season, even with the issues with Simon [Cowell] and what have you.
"But she could never go back, even if they did a [180] and asked her to for another season — no."
NBC were said to have been caught by surprise by many of the claims surrounding the exits of Gabrielle and Julianne Hough so have opted to use an external legal firm in order to show any investigations are independent and unbiased.
The ‘Bring It On’ actress is pushing for a public inclusion effort from both the network and ‘AGT’, as well as a reconfiguration of the internal communication and structure.
Meanwhile,
Time’s Up has launched a petition urging NBCUniversal leaders to take Union’s allegations seriously and to take steps on workplace health and safety.
Time’s Up president and CEO Tina Tchen said in a statement: "Gabrielle Union’s experience at ‘America’s Got Talent’ is exemplary of the double bind that black women face at work.
"Not only did Union reportedly endure and witness racist and inappropriate behavior – including racially-insensitive comments and excessive criticism about her physical appearance – but it also appears she was punished for speaking out: the company labeled her as ‘difficult’ before ousting her from the show altogether. Union’s story is deeply troubling on its own, but her experience is particularly problematic because it follows a pattern of NBCUniversal protecting the careers of powerful men at the expense of women who speak out."
SAG-AFTRA added: "We take issues of workplace health and safety very seriously. We immediately reached out to Ms. Union’s representatives when these reports came to light. It is our practice to work closely with members who reach out to us and their representatives in instances like this, as that usually affords the best protection and best resolution for the affected member."
Gabrielle Union to meet with NBC this week
