Gabrielle Union Speaks On Her Time On ‘AGT’ & Mentions Former Judge Julianne Hough’s Blackface Scandal

Gabrielle Union recently spoke candidly about her experience as a judge on America’s Got Talent.

In November 2019, it was announced that Union and fellow AGT judge Julianne Hough were being let go from the show after one season. The news came as a shock to viewers, who enjoyed seeing Union on the competition. Union opened up to Variety about the real reason she was canned from the reality show that also starred executive producer Simon Cowell and Howie Mendel. In the interview, Union said she addressed several racially insensitive comments and actions that appeared on the show. She recalled one instance when the show allowed a contestant to put on a darker glove to represent an African American performer.

Union told the publication that AGT’s execs were informed about how the audience would view the act as problematic. She then said that they decided to allow the performer to continue, which she wasn’t surprised about. The actress suggested that AGT had hired someone who purposely darkened their skin to portray another actress in the past. She recalled Hough’s 2013 scandal, in which the Dancing with the Stars alum used blackface for her Halloween costume. At the time, Hough was portraying Uzo Aduba’s Orange Is the New Black character, Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren.

“I’m a part of a show that hired one of my co-workers who had an unfortunate incident doing blackface,” Union shared. “I’d like to trust her at her word that she learned her lesson, and has educated herself amid the consequences she faced and is hopefully a better person. But you would think that perhaps the show and NBC might be more conscientious in exposing that, and it would be taken seriously. I took it seriously.”

While Union was the only judge to address the alleged insensitivity she witnessed behind the scenes, both she and Hough were replaced by Sofia Vergara and Heidi Klum for AGT’s 15th season. According to Hollywood Life, Union was also called out for reportedly complaining about Cowell smoking in their dressing room. She also claimed that Jay Leno made negative remarks about the Asian community during his appearance on AGT. The actress was then criticized for her choice of hairstyles throughout the season.

Since leaving AGT, Union has worked on several projects, including her show, LA’s Finest. Additionally, she has received support from other celebrities for speaking out, including Ellen Pompeo and her husband, Dwyane Wade. After being let go, Hough didn’t share any experiences with racial injustice and thanked NBC for the opportunity.