Gabrielle Union responded to Orlando Jones being fired by the same production company behind America’s Got Talent. The two look as if they may join forces to bring national recognition to their current struggle.
On November 22, NBC announced that fan-favorite Union and Julianne Hough would not be returning to the show for season 15. Corresponding to multiple reports, the L.A.’s Finest star’s contract was not renewed due to reports of conflicts that occurred behind the scenes of the competition show. It was also reported that Union spoke to the show’s producers, telling them she felt there were racial and gender concerns that made their workplace a toxic environment.
Now, Union is coming to the aid of fellow actor, Orlando Jones. The actor said he too was fired from the third season of American Gods which, coincidentally enough, was produced by Fremantle, the same production company that runs America’s Got Talent. People reported that, on Saturday, the 51-year-old took to Twitter to post about his experience and went on to intensely criticize the brains behind the show, Charles Eglee for his part in deciding to get rid of him. Orlando confirmed that even though he also supported the show by contributing as a writer and producer he still was let go on September 10.
In his Twitter thread, Jones told his fans this his American Gods character, Mr. Nancy, would no longer exist on the show. He explained that the new showrunner was Ivy-league educated and Connecticut-born and told Jones that he believed Mr. Nancy’s angry attitude is the wrong message for “black” America. The Starz network mostly kept quiet, only to comment that Mr. Eglee was not Connecticut-born. In a second tweet, Jones wrote that the production company was a nightmare to work with as they treated him like a second-class citizen for doing his job properly. The actor tagged fellow actress Union in his post as well as some other former judges. Union responded to her friend on Saturday, December 14, tweeting that the two should chat and that they would be stronger together.
While Union recently had a five-hour meeting with NBC executives about issues, such as being given excessive notes about her appearance while working on the show, Jones has not had a chance to speak to the higher-ups. Union also spoke out about being told her hairstyles were reportedly “too black” and that he audience would not be able to relate to her. Even though Union has not yet released an official statement of her own, fans and colleagues alike have come to support her in her fight.
Next: Howard Stern Defends Gabrielle Union, Calls America’s Got Talent the ‘Ultimate Boys Club’
Source: People, Orlando Jones
