Gabrielle Union Responds To Terry Crews’s ‘Today’ Comments On AGT Diversity, Calls For More Action

Bruce Haring

Click here to read the full article.

Gabrielle Union has responded obliquely to comments from Terry Crews that seems to challenge her stance on America’s Got Talent production problems.

Crews appeared on the Today show on Thursday and addressed Union’s prior allegations that AGT was a hotbed of racial insensitivity and sexism. Crews hosts America’s Got Talent and its winter edition, America’s Got Talent: The Champions.

More from Deadline

Union did not have her contract to judge AGT renewed, and has since said that she was subjected to indignities based on race and sexism. In December, she met with NBC and the AGT production companies on those allegations. The five-hour meeting was described as “productive” by Union, and the other parties vowed to “take whatever next steps may be appropriate.” The investigation is supposed to wrap by the end of this month.

But the issues were raised again Thursday on Today during the Crews interview. Asked about her allegations of racism and sexism, Crews said that was not his experience.

“First of all, I can’t speak for sexism because I’m not a woman,” he said. “But I can speak on behalf of any racism comments. That was never my experience. In fact, it was the most diverse place I have ever been in my 20 years of entertainment.”

Crews said he consulted his wife on whether he should speak out. “I have to say this, too. When you look at what the allegations were about, it was given by an unnamed source. My thing is — it’s funny because I believe you should listen to women, you should always believe women, so I asked my wife what I should do. She was like, first of all, if it’s coming from an unnamed source, because Gabrielle Union has not made any statement to this day about any of these allegations publicly … if she hasn’t made a statement, why would you?”

Union didn’t address Crews’s remarks directly. But when a fan tweeted out “love and support” to her on Friday, she responded.

“Thank u!” Union responded. “Cuz girlllllll 😐 Truth telling, wanting change & having MULTIPLE witnesses who bravely came forward to let EVERYONE know I didn’t lie or exaggerate, really exposes those who enthusiastically will throw you under the bus, forgetting quickly who stepped up 4 THEIR truth.”

In a second tweet in response to another fan, she added: “Why anyone would gleefully get up on TV and tell lies that NO ONE disputed… But we already know.”

She later added: “Can someone please ask abt what happens to all that diversity folks are talking about BEHIND THE SCENES. Like, legit… where the hell is all that diversity in the production though homie? In the decision making ranks who control the fate of the diversity in front of the camera?”

Union concluded with tweets regarding the AGT hair and makeup departments, and appeared to call on fans to contact show executives and demand concrete follow-up on Union’s prior complaints.

 

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.