Dwyane Wade is defending wife Gabrielle Union. Six months following her exit from America's Got Talent after one season, Union reportedly filed a discrimination complaint against Simon Cowell, NBC, FremantleMedia and Syco Entertainment with California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing in Los Angeles.
After NBC said in a statement that the actress' allegations were "categorically untrue," Wade couldn't help but speak out.
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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," the former NBA star tweeted. "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? She’s a black women in Hollywood she has lost out on many jobs."
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? She’s a black women in Hollywood she has lost out on many jobs https://t.co/bjnVzug6gi
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) June 4, 2020
Wade continued by claiming that after the negotiations started, his and Union's home "started being watched." He also claimed his family "started being followed. "My daughter couldn’t even go to swim class without us being trailed by people looking for answers. Well y’all have the answers and y’all still don’t wanna listen to them," he added.
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. Well y’all have the answers and y’all still don’t wanna listen to them. https://t.co/bjnVzug6gi
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) June 4, 2020
In Union's complaint, filed by attorney Bryan Freedman, she also claimed NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy tried to "silence and intimidate" her, according to multiple reports. ET has reached out to Cowell, Fremantle and Syco for comment.
In a statement to ET on Thursday, NBC said, "The allegation that anyone involved in this process threatened Ms. Union is categorically untrue. 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."
A Variety report published around Union's AGT exit in November claimed that she had expressed concern about the show's "toxic culture" to NBC's human resources department. NBC and Fremantle responded with a statement praising AGT's long history of "inclusivity and diversity" and said that Union and fellow judge Julianne Hough's departures were part of the routine cycling out of judges on the show.
At the time, Wade also stood up for Union, claiming that she was fired. "'Men lie, Women lie, numbers don’t' Over this past year I’ve been approached by many people saying that my wife @itsgabrielleu is the main reason they’ve started watching #AGT or that they love her insight and sincerity on the show," he tweeted in part. "So when i got the news that my wife was being fired -- my first question was obviously why!? I am still waiting on a good answer to that question. But if anyone knows @itsgabrielleu or have heard of her you know she’s an advocate for our community and culture."
Following a five-hour meeting with Union over her concerns about a "toxic culture" on the set of America's Got Talent, NBC launched a deeper investigation into her claims. In January, Telegdy told reporters that the network may put "new practices in place" following Union's experience at AGT.
Union later told Variety in May that she struggled with the decision to speak out about her concerns. "I had to look at myself and say, 'Do you want to keep it easy? Or do you want to be you, and stand up?'" she recalled. "Because I'm not the only one being poisoned at work."
"At the end of all this, my goal is real change -- and not just on this show but for the larger parent company," Union added. "It starts from the top down. My goal is to create the happiest, most high-functioning, inclusive, protected and healthy example of a workplace."
See more in the video below.
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