Union: NBC head ‘threatened’ her when she reported racism
Gabrielle Union has filed a complaint of employment discrimination against production companies Fremantle and Syco, NBC and Simon Cowell after reporting alleged racist behavior on the set of “America’s Got Talent.”
Using language from NBC’s recent statement about Black Lives Matter, a statement released Thursday on Union’s behalf claims that the network retaliated against her when she expressed concerns about “acts of racism” she experienced on the competition program.
“When Gabrielle Union informed NBC of racially offensive conduct during the taping of America’s Got Talent, NBC did not ‘stand’ with her in ‘outrage at acts of racism,’” read the statement from Union’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, referencing NBC’s social media pledge to “stand with our black employees.”
“Instead, NBC did not care enough to either promptly investigate Ms. Union’s complaints or even ask HR to get involved. Rather, NBC stood against her and directed its ‘outrage’ at Ms. Union for whistleblowing about the racially offensive conduct she experienced.”
Union also accused the chairman of NBC Entertainment, Paul Telegdy, of threatening her when she spoke up about a toxic environment and “secretly planning to undermine” the external investigation launched into her claims. The “L.A.’s Finest” star exited “America’s Got Talent” in 2019 after serving as a judge for one season.
“In sharp contrast to NBC’s recent statement on race, what was truly an ‘outrage’ was the fact that Paul Telegdy, Chairman of NBC Entertainment, actually threatened Ms. Union in an attempt to silence her from telling the truth about racist actions that took place on the show,” Freedman’s statement continues.
“There is no place for this type of racial bullying in the workplace, and it is going to take more than a Tweet from NBC to demonstrate that NBC intends to create an environment free from racism.”
NBC denied Union’s claims Thursday afternoon in a statement provided to The LA Times.
“The allegation that anyone involved in this process threatened Ms. Union is categorically untrue,” the statement read. “We took Ms. Union’s concerns seriously, and engaged an outside investigator who found an overarching culture of diversity on the show.
“NBCUniversal remains committed to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment where people of all backgrounds are treated with respect.”
In a rapid response, Union’s attorney doubled down, particularly on her accusations toward Telegdy.
“It’s very telling that NBC fails to substantively address the DFEH complaint that Ms. Union filed based on racial discrimination,” Freedman wrote in a statement. “Instead, NBC wants to try and play word games by saying that their Chairman, Paul Telegdy did not directly threaten Gabrielle Union.
“NBC of course ignores Paragraph 5 of the DFEH complaint which specifically states: ‘On or about February 4, 2020, Telegdy threatened