NBC has negotiated a settlement with Gabrielle Union after she made allegations of racism and misconduct on the set of “America’s Got Talent,” the network said Tuesday.
It’s been 10 months since Union, 47, first complained of a “toxic environment” on the talent show after she was let go as a judge.
“We’ve reached an amicable resolution” on Tuesday, an NBC spokesperson told Page Six. “NBC Entertainment appreciates the important concerns raised by Gabrielle Union and remains committed to ensuring an inclusive and supportive working environment where people of all backgrounds can be treated with respect.”
Union is believed to have been paid a settlement by “AGT” producers Fremantle and Syco and NBC — which previously stated that a probe of the claims found that her dismissal had nothing to do with her complaints.
The actress complained about judge Simon Cowell smoking cigarettes on set, which is illegal in California. She also accused guest judge Jay Leno of making a racist joke, and producers for deeming one of her hairstyles “too black” for the show.
It was reported that a young black contestant was removed from the show because it needed a performer whom “America could get behind.”
Earlier this year, NBC and the show producers conducted an investigation into Union’s dismissal, which uncovered no wrongdoing.
At the time, NBC said: “When we heard Ms. Union had concerns about her time on the show, we took them extremely seriously.”
A rep indicated that, after the allegations surfaced, the network and producers “immediately engaged an outside investigator who conducted more than 30 interviews to review the issues raised by Ms. Union.”
“While the investigation has demonstrated an overall culture of diversity, it has also highlighted some areas in which reporting processes could be improved,” the rep said, adding that it has “revealed that no one associated with the show made any insensitive or derogatory remarks about Ms. Union’s appearance, and that neither race nor gender was a contributing factor in the advancement or elimination of contestants at any time.”
Union told Variety magazine that she’d been let go by the show back in September — along with fellow judge Julianne Hough — after a season on the show because she’d spoken up about what she called a “toxic environment” on the set.
But the spokesperson said, “The investigation has shown that the concerns raised by Ms. Union had no bearing on the decision not to exercise the option on her contract.”
[Gabrielle] Union’s reps didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
