Responding to a tweet that revealed a white producer once said she fancies writing shows only about families, which is why she is not forced to cast POC actors, Gabrielle Union noted that it is hardly surprising for a white showrunner to refuse to cast people of color. The She's All That actress said she doesn't find it shocking at all that a large number of producers insist working only with white actors.
Screenwriter Sujata Choudhury, who is professionally credited as Sujata Day wrote on Twitter that a white producer once revealed that she is not forced to cast people of color as she only writes shows about families. Replying to the Insecure actress' tweet, Union said as shocking as this may seem, it is not shocking at all.
While keeping the producer/showrunner's identity under wraps, Union has a reputation for calling out racism in the entertainment industry. Earlier this month, the 47-year-old actress filed a complaint against Simon Cowell, Syco, and Fremantle, accusing the media conglomerate of not taking adequate action after she informed them of racially offensive conduct during the filming of America’s Got Talent, PEOPLE reported.
In a statement released at the time, Union's attorney, Bryan Freedman pointed out that NBC neither stood with the actress nor care enough about her complaints regarding acts of racism so it didn't even ask HR to intervene. On the contrary, NBC opposed her and directed its outrage at her for spilling the beans on the racially offensive conduct she experienced during the taping of NBC's America’s Got Talent, Freedman explained.
In her complain, Union accused AGT of terminating her from the show after just one season because she refused to remain work in a toxic culture that was teeming with racist performances, racist jokes, discrimination based on sexual orientation and too much focus on female judges' appearances, aside from race-related comments. NBC addressed Union's complaint by releasing a statement, calling her allegations untrue.
The network says it took Union's concerns seriously and even involved an outside investigator who discovered an all-encompassing culture of diversity on the show. The statement says NBCUniversal is committed to creating a working environment that is inclusive and supportive, where people are treated equally regardless of their backgrounds.
Union and Julianne Hough were both fired from AGT seven months before this filing. Their exit triggered Fremantle, Syco Entertainment, and NBC backed an internal investigation. During her appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Union said she joined the investigation thinking it would be independent, but that wasn't the case.