Gabrielle Union spoke about racism, accountability, and major changes to dismantle the racist system during an appearance on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" on Tuesday. She also discussed her experience on "America's Got Talent" (open in new tab) and claimed that the subsequent investigation conducted by NBC was not fair (which NBC denies). [The Amy Cooper and Central Park thing happened the same day George Floyd lost his life. We saw what happened in that park that day." Amy Cooper did not believe that the rules and laws applied to her and that she could use the police as a weapon against black men for being wrong. In the same way, anti-blackness and profiling led to George Floyd's death."

Union, a product of NBC and America's Got Talent, after she pointed out racist jokes by Jay Leno, a white performer who wore black gloves to play a black celebrity, and that contestants of color received lesser quality hair and makeup Fremantle and Syco spoke about the investigation launched by Fremantle and Syco. They were like, "We are going to commission an independent investigation." Silly me; if NBC, Fremantle and Syco pay for the investigation, they will control it," she argued. (NBC, Fremantle and Syco insist that the investigation is independent and impartial.)

"They turn over anything they think is inflammatory or not favorable to me to Paul Telegdy, the head of NBC, and he uses what he thinks is conclusive evidence to destroy my claims," she continued, according to Entertainment Tonight" reports (opens in new tab). Then, in the middle of an investigation into racism and discrimination, she threatened my agent, saying, 'Gabriel better watch out for people he calls racist. This is what is happening from the top of the company."

In a statement to "Entertainment Tonight," NBC said it "takes Ms. Union's concerns seriously and has retained an outside investigator who has found a culture of inclusive diversity on the show" and that it is "categorically untrue" that she was threatened by Telegdy

Union spoke about Simon Cowell smoking indoors despite his severe allergy to cigarette smoke. On his first day, Simon Cowell smoked indoors. 'Your boss is someone who has the ability to decide who gets an opportunity and who doesn't, but he doesn't believe that the law applies to him or that the rules apply to him, and he does it in full view of NBC and Fremantle and Syco, and nobody knows that Simon Cowell is smoking these employees, and no one cares that Simon Cowell exposes all of these employees to secondhand smoke. (A Cowell spokesman told Variety that after complaints were made about his smoking, he "immediately changed his behavior.")

Union said that change must be inclusive and must include a greater focus on representation and accountability. 'We as an industry, and every industry, face the same thing,' he said. We're trying to find ways to avoid bad apples as opposed to dealing with them, holding those apples accountable, and producing real results."

"We need to increase overall representation, top to bottom, in front of and behind the camera," she added. 'Who decides which projects get the go-ahead? Who will participate in the development process? Who decides the budget? Who decides who gets the opportunity and why?"

"We have to be able to OK changes that are not necessarily in our best interest. Some people think so. The only way to lead is to center yourself in every discussion," says Union. 'What I've learned throughout this whole process is that sometimes the best way to lead is to get out of the way and make room for someone else. You have to take the whole thing apart. You can't put a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound."

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