Simon Cowell has a reputation for making headlines for smoking, and he lived up to his notoriety a few years ago when he was one of the judges on The X Factor. Recently surfaced reports imply voice artist Gabrielle Union left America’s Got Talent citing ill effects of Simon Cowell's smoking.
Union threw in the towel just after judging one season of America’s Got Talent. If previously surfaced reports are anything to go by, she wasn't happy with the work environment, particularly about Cowell smoking indoors. A report from Vulture suggests Union constantly complained about Cowell's indoor smoking habits.
Despite smoking indoor being a violation of California’s law, Cowell still did it. Union reportedly had allegory to smoke and this triggered a clash between them. According to Showbiz CheatSheets, SAG-AFTRA (The Screen Actors Guild) is now investigating the reason behind Union’s exit from America’s Got Talent.
In an interview with Variety, Union opened up about her experience on America’s Got Talent, revealing that she voices her problem related to Cowell’s smoking on the first day of her appearance on the show. The actor described the situation as big for someone who is coming onto a set and is introduced with a toxic work environment, and to make things even worse, it is practiced by the production's most influential person.
Union said Cowell didn't refrain from smoking indoors despite her objections and it affected her health, leaving her no place to escape. As a result, the actress claims she was sick for two months straight. She had a cold that transformed into bronchitis because she couldn't treat her cold. It not only impacted her voice, but the Union said it even affected her ability to do her job.
Canadian comedian Howie Mandel was reportedly alarmed about Union having a runny nose as he has obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as fear of germs. It was challenging for her to take care of her illness, without being made to feel like she was responsible for her own sickness, Union admitted.
This made her feel othered from day one, Union said. On top of that, she felt isolated and was singled out for being difficult, while she was only asking for them to follow basic laws. Union said all she wanted was to be able to come to work, feel safe, be healthy, and listened to.
In an interview with Variety, Cowell’s spokesperson responded to Union's allegations claiming that he was informed about the smoking complaint on the first two days of the season and he changed his behavior without wasting time. According to Cowell’s spokesperson, no one raised the issue again.