SAG-AFTRA Says It Has ‘Taken Steps To Investigate’ Gabrielle Union’s NBC Exit
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), a labor union representing film, television, and radio personalities, has said it is investigating Gabrielle Union‘s recent departure from NBC’s America’s Got Talent, per MSN. In a statement on Sunday evening, the organization explained their involvement in the case.
After news broke that Union had been fired from the series for expressing concerns about AGT‘s “toxic” environment, actress Patricia Arquette took to Twitter to call on SAG-AFTRA for an official investigation.
“This is terrible. You should not be penalized for trying to have a workplace that honors the rule of law in the workplace,” Arquette wrote on Wednesday, according to MSN, before tagging SAG-AFTRA and encouraging them to look into the situation.
On Sunday, SAG-AFTRA released a lengthy response to the call-to-action via a spokesperson.
“We take issues of workplace health and safety very seriously. We immediately reached out to Ms. Union’s representatives when these reports came to light,” the statement read.
The union continued on to assure that they “work closely” with members affected by workplace violations and their representatives.
“For certain matters, our investigation and enforcement needs to happen independently and we are prepared to handle this issue accordingly, as warranted,” SAG-AFTRA added.
However, the organization also explained that they handle these matters confidentially and only publicize investigations at the request of the affected members themselves.
“While we have taken steps to investigate this matter, we have nothing to report now.”
Variety reported last week that Union, along with fellow AGT judge Julianna Hough, was “let go” after the actress approached producers about toxicity in the workplace. Specifically, Union asked producers to chat with human resources about a reportedly offensive joke made by Jay Leno. In addition, showrunners allegedly told Union that her hairstyles were “too black” for AGT. Her requests were ignored.
Union received an outpouring of support from friends, family, and fans on social media after the report circulated. Many famous faces, including Ellen Pompeo and Ariana Grande, called out NBC in defense for the mother of one.
Union said she was “humbled and thankful” for the support.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, NBC did issue their own statement on Sunday announcing that they were “working closely” with Union to hear out her concerns and act accordingly. They assured people that they “remain committed” to creating a safe and respectful workplace for their employees.
