Entertainment

Gabrielle Union Says NBC Head Allegedly Threatened Her Agent During an Investigation Following Her Departure from ‘America’s Got Talent’ (Video)

Gabrielle Union hasn’t been shy in calling out ignorance in society, as well as in the workplace. Following her departure from NBC, Union called out NBC and Simon Cowell for alleged unfair treatment, racial/gender bias, and a hostile work while working on America’s Got Talent.

Union recently spoke with Trevor Noah about racism in the entertainment industry, and shed some light on what took place during the investigation around her departure. “…Every industry is facing the same thing– with going along to get along,” stated Union. “Trying to figure out how you work around the bad apples as opposed to addressing and making those bad apples accountable and there being real consequences.”

“I’m about labor, for treating employees fairly, nobody’s asking for anything special..just treat people fairly,” Union said. “Have mechanisms in place so when things happen, there are consequences.”

Union went to to address what changes could, and should take place to address racial and gender discrimination. “In front of and behind the camera,” Union began. “There has to be an increase in representation from across the board, from the top to the bottom — who gets to make the decisions of which projects to green light, who is a part of those development processes, who gets to determine budgets.

Union also spoke on the investigation that took place following her leaving NBC. She stated that what was supposed to be an independent investigation, didn’t turn out that way in her eyes. She also stated that her agent allegedly got threatened by NBC head Paul Telegdy during the investigation.

“Silly me, I thought ‘independent’ was independent. But when NBC and [producers] Fremantle and Syco pay for that investigation, they control it,” she said. “They turn over what they believe to be inflammatory things, or things that are not advantageous to me … to the head of NBC, Paul Telegdy, who then … threatens my agents: ‘Gabrielle better watch who she calls a racist.’ In the middle of an investigation about racism and discrimination? This is what’s happening from the top of the company.”

Watch the video below.

William Carter

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