According to Nielsen ratings, Gabrielle Union was the highest-rated judge on America's Got Talent, but was fired from the show after just one season. She later said she was fired for complaining about racism in the field and raising other concerns about the show's work environment.In a new interview with Variety, Union spoke at length about her horrific experience on "America's Got Talent" and why she thought it was important to speak up He spoke at length about the following.

Union said her appearance on "America's Got Talent" was problematic from day one when Simon Cowell smoked indoors next to her. Union, who is severely allergic to cigarette smoke, spoke to the producers about the problem but was told there was nothing they could do. She recalled, "When I walked onto the set, I literally encountered the toxic work environment itself, and it was being conducted by the most powerful person in the production."

"I couldn't escape. I ended up being sick for the entire two months. I had a lingering cold that turned into bronchitis. It affected my voice and my ability to work," says Union. 'It put me in a position where I felt like a stranger from day one. I felt isolated. I felt singled out for being difficult, even though I was asked to abide by basic laws. I come to work and I want to be healthy, safe, and listened to." When asked for comment, a Cowell spokesman told Variety, "When he was directly informed of the smoking complaints in the first few days of the season, he quickly changed his behavior and the issue was never raised again."

Union also said that Jay Leno, a guest judge on the show, made a terrible racist joke. Leno commented on a drawing of Cowell and his dogs, saying the pets looked like "ingredients from a Korean restaurant," Variety reported. 'I've always held him in high regard, but I wasn't prepared for his joke,' Union said. 'I gasped. I froze. Other things had already happened, but it was so wildly racist at this point." Leno did not respond to Variety's request for comment.

When Union reported the incident to Production, she said their response - a promise to edit out the comments - was inadequate. 'You can't edit what we went through,' she said. There is no edit button in my brain or in my soul. I experienced this kind of racism in my workplace and nothing was done about it, no discipline, no company-wide email, no reminder of what is appropriate in the workplace."

Union also recalled a quick turn on America's Got Talent in which she wore black gloves to play a black celebrity. She said, "I had hoped some mechanism would work to protect the 4,000 people in the Pasadena auditorium. There was nothing. They had not thought enough about how we would experience this blatantly racist act, which we take very seriously as a company."

She also noted that contestants were not asked for pronouns and that contestants of color did not receive much attention from hair and makeup. Union said, "Some contestants get the full Hollywood treatment, while others are left hanging." When we fail to make conscious decisions when hiring and recognize that there are entire departments that lack the skill sets necessary to adequately serve all of the diversity that is being advertised, we are creating an unequal and discriminatory experience." Union did not comment on reports that her own changed hairstyle was said to be "too black" because of the ongoing investigation.

In a statement in response to the Variety article, Fremantle, Syco (AGT's production company), and NBC said they "immediately hired an outside investigator who conducted over 30 interviews to review the issues raised by Ms. Union. While the survey demonstrated an overall culture of diversity, it also highlighted areas where the reporting process could be improved." The statement added, "The investigation has not shown that the concerns raised by Ms. Union had any relationship to her decision not to exercise her contract option."

Union also discussed her decision to speak about her "America's Got Talent" experience. She said, "What's the point of making it if I can't speak with the privilege I have and the benefit my husband and I have? What is the point of sitting at the table and defending my privilege when I'm not doing shit to help other people," she said. 'Speaking truth to power can be very frightening. I try not to be afraid.

"At the end of all this, my goal is real change, not just for this program but for the larger parent company. It starts from the top down," says Union.

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