New Report Claims 'AGT' Had a Toxic Culture That Gabrielle Union Complained About

Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough were new judges on America’s Got Talent this year and NBC decided not to renew their contacts after just one season with the show. Now, a new report claims that the show had a toxic culture that led to complaints from talent.

Variety reports that Gabrielle asked producers to tell NBC’s human resources about an offensive joke allegedly made by guest star Jay Leno. Even though the line was cut from the episode before it was aired, sources say the issue never reached the HR level.

The outlet also reported that Gabrielle expressed concerns during the auditions when a white performer tried to portray Beyonce as a gimmick, with hands that appeared to be colored black.

Gabrielle told producers to remove the act from the lineup and when they said they’ll “take it out later,” she said she didn’t think the live audience should be subjected to a racially insensitive act. The performer ended up auditioning, though the act was cut from the episode.

Variety also says that both Gabrielle and Julianne received “excessive notes” on their physical appearance. They reportedly told Gabrielle that her hair styles were “too black” for the audience.

Julianne denies that she received notes on her appearance. She said in a statement, “I had a wonderful time on America’s Got Talent, I loved working with the cast, crew and producers. I am happy to continue my working relationship with NBC. I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

Click inside to read a response from NBC…

NBCUniversal and series producer FremantleMedia responded to the allegations by saying, “America’s Got Talent has a long history of inclusivity and diversity in both our talent and the acts championed by the show. The judging and host line-up has been regularly refreshed over the years and that is one of the reasons for AGT’s enduring popularity. NBC and the producers take any issues on set seriously.”