Gabrielle Union Says America’s Got Talent Bosses Said Her Hair Was ‘Too Black’

Former America’s Got Talent judge Gabrielle Union is threating legal action after claiming she was told by show bosses her hair and clothes were “too black”.

Gabrielle, 47, who was axed last month, claims the working environment on the show, which attracts about 10 million viewers, was “toxic” and there was no mechanism for raising her grievances. She has also alleged Simon Cowell , 60, a fellow judge, was too dominant and chat show host Jay Leno cracked inappropriate jokes.

The actress reportedly wants to sue British entertainment mogul Cowell’s company Syco, which co-produces the show. A source close to her said: “She’s in discussions with Simon’s people and [broadcaster] NBC, but she isn’t prepared to back down. This isn’t going away. Gabrielle kept complaining about Simon’s total autonomy on set. There were no other channels to go through to make a complaint about conditions. She was shocked when she was told that her hair and wardrobe was ‘too black’ and she immediately tried to lodge a complaint, but there wasn’t a place to go.

“Gabrielle is powerful and wealthy in her own right. She’s not interested in a settlement or having this swept under the rug. This is her #MeToo moment and she’s doing this because she genuinely wants to change an outdated system and wants to make it better for the women who come after her.”

The singer, who is married to ex-basketball star Dwyane Wade, claims she met with bosses from NBC on Tuesday. In a tweet she wrote: “We had a lengthy and what I thought to be, productive meeting yesterday. I was able to, again, express my unfiltered truth.”

Her lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said: “We’re waiting to see whether NBC is going to make sure there are real changes made to protect both the contestants and the talent [judges].”

NBC, Fremantle and Syco released a joint statement last Sunday. It said: “We remain committed to ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees and take very seriously any questions about workplace culture. We are working with Ms Union through her representatives to hear more about her concerns, following which we will take whatever next steps may be appropriate.”

Photo Credit: Getty

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