NBC has denied Union was intimidated by anyone, as she claims in a complaint filed Thursday, and says her “toxic culture” allegations were disproven by an outside investigation finding “an overarching culture of diversity on the show.”
Dwyane Wade continues to support wife Gabrielle Union in her ongoing battle with NBC and “America’s Got Talent” over her allegations of a racist and “toxic culture” during her one season with the reality series last summer.
But he also added disturbing new allegations by suggesting that during the months of negotiations between Union and producers to try and affect positive change on the show, and perhaps at the network, his family has been subject to harassment.
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“When these negotiations started my house started being watched and my family started being followed. My daughter couldn’t even go to swim class without us being trailed by people looking for answers,” he tweeted on Thursday.
“Well y’all have the answers and y’all still don’t wanna listen to them.” No one involved with the network or the show has yet responded to these latest allegations.
ET reports that on Thursday, Union filed a “harassment, discrimination and retaliation complaint with California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing in Los Angeles.” The filing is often a precursor to a formal lawsuit.
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As part of her complaint, she alleged that NBC Entertainment chairman Paul Telgedy tried to “silence and intimidate” her, which is what NBC quickly denied.
“The allegation that anyone involved in this process threatened Ms. Union is categorically untrue,” the network said in a statement. “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.”
Wade wasn’t having any of that, tweeting, “So instead of making sure your work environment is a a better place for everyone. Y’all have decided that she what? Made it all up because she lost a job?” he tweeted. “She’s a black women in Hollywood she has lost out on many jobs.”
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Y’all have deemed her a liar after months of trying to inform y’all of the issues in the work place and also make sure other employees of color that comes after her won’t have the same experiences. https://t.co/bjnVzug6gi
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) June 4, 2020
@DwyaneWade
Instead of looking thru the lens of someone who has been an advocate for the black and brown community, for women and for rape victims. https://t.co/bjnVzug6gi
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) June 4, 2020
@DwyaneWade
After her ouster from the show alongside fellow freshmen judge Julianne Hough, Union came forward with bombshell allegations of multiple issues experienced on the set including issues with her hair and wardrobe to a refusal to acknowledge contestants’ preferred genders, Simon Cowell smoking indoors and a racist joke that went unaddressed by guest Jay Leno.
Union has reportedly been in negotiations and talks with the company since that time in an effort to help them address these concerns and ensure the environment on the show is inclusive, diverse, representative, accommodating and truly open and equal for all.
Clearly, those negotiations have now broken down entirely.
A part of her outrage and decision to make this move now comes in response to NBC tweeting and putting on-screen during its programming (including “AGT”) the phrase, “We stand together in outrage against acts of racism.” The influence is clear in the wording of her complaint.
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“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. 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 while working for NBC on ‘America’s Got Talent,'” Union’s complaint reads, per a report by Variety.
“America’s Got Talent” shared its own statement during its broadcast this week in reaction to the ongoing protests following the death of George Floyd, an innocent black man who died under the knee of a former Minneapolis police officer. That officer, and three others in attendance, have all been charged and arrested in relation to Floyd’s death.
“it is going to take more than a Tweet from NBC to demonstrate that NBC intends to create an environment free from racism,” Union says in her complaint.
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