Gabrielle Union files discrimination and harassment complaint against NBC and America's Got Talent

Variety

NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy is accused of trying to "silence and intimidate" Union for speaking out against racism on the America's Got Talent set, according to a complaint filed today with California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing. The complaint names NBC Universal, producer FremantleMedia and Simon Cowell’s Syco. As Variety notes, the complaint is usually a precursor to a lawsuit. Yashar Ali, who first reported the news, reports Union plans to file a separate lawsuit against Cowell. The complaint comes one week after NBC announced that an independent investigation dismissed Union's allegations. “When Gabrielle Union informed NBC of racially offensive conduct during the taping of America’s Got Talent, NBC did not ‘stand’ with her in ‘outrage at acts of racism,'” said Union's attorney, Bryan Freedman, invoking the company’s recent support of #BlackLivesMatter. “Instead, NBC did not care enough to either promptly investigate Ms. Union’s complaints or even ask HR to get involved. Rather, NBC stood against her and directed its 'outrage' at Ms. Union for whistleblowing about the racially offensive conduct she experienced while working for NBC on America’s Got Talent.” Freeman added that “in sharp contrast to NBC’s recent statement on race, what was truly an 'outrage' was the fact that Paul Telegdy, Chairman of NBC Entertainment, actually threatened Ms. Union in an attempt to silence her from telling the truth about racist actions that took place on the show. There is no place for this type of racial bullying in the workplace, and it is going to take more than a Tweet from NBC to demonstrate that NBC intends to create an environment free from racism.” NBCUniversal, Fremantle and Cowell had yet to comment on the complaint. ALSO: Terry Crews apologized again this morning to Union for not supporting her after her AGT firing.