Gabrielle Union Breaks Silence Over America's Got Talent Ouster Controversy - TooFab

Gabrielle Union has broken her silence after a bombshell report alleged that she was let go from "America's Got Talent" after a single season as a judge for speaking out against perceived instances of racism and a "toxic culture" on the set.

According to media reports, Union -- who was let go alongside fellow freshman judge Julianne Hough -- was deemed "difficult" because she spoke up about an alleged racist joke Jay Leno told on camera, would ask performers in drag their preferred pronoun, and even called out the show's creator and head judge Simon Cowell for smoking inside the building, which is against the law -- plus, she is reportedly allergic to cigarette smoke.

NBC, however, insists that any on-set issues are taken seriously, and says that this panel rotation is just a part of the natural cycle of a show like "AGT." "'America's Got Talent' has a long history of inclusivity and diversity in both our talent and the acts championed by the show," the network and show producer Fremantle said in a joint statement.

Union's husband Dwyane Wade jumped into the fray to support his wife with a series of tweets and he's not the only one.

As soon as the story broke, social media exploded with positive messages applauding Union for taking a stand during her time on the NBC reality series, and offering their love and support. And all of that love has not gone unnoticed.

Perhaps appropriately on Thanksgiving Eve, the "L.A.'s Finest" star took to Twitter to thank all of her fans and all of those within the industry choosing to stand by her side, though she neither confirmed nor denied any of the specifics of the reports that have been coming out.

"Just when you feel lost, adrift, alone," she wrote to her fans and supporters. "You got me up off the ground."

So many tears, so much gratitude. THANK YOU! Just when you feel lost, adrift, alone... you got me up off the ground. Humbled and thankful, forever ❤

— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) November 28, 2019

"The Flash" star Candice Patton threw her support behind Union, explaining that it's really the only thing she can do. "You stand up for us, so we stand up for you!" she wrote. After all, it is purportedly because Union was standing up for minority groups that she was allegedly deemed difficult and let go.

Patricia Arquette was there for her, as well, adding, "You should not be penalized for trying to have a workplace that honors the rule of law in the workplace."

You can check out some of the support Union has received since the bombshell report broke on Tuesday below:

thinking of @itsgabrielleu ... she shouldn’t have to deal with this b.s. https://t.co/FideuD3FHf

— Monica Lewinsky (@MonicaLewinsky) November 27, 2019

Team @itsgabrielleu, always.

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 28, 2019

With you 💯

— Bradley Whitford (@BradleyWhitford) November 28, 2019

You’re fantastic.🙏🏻

— Bebe Neuwirth (@BebeNeuwirth) November 28, 2019

Gabrielle Union also goes hard behind the scenes. I was in a situation where an entity was leveraging their power 2harm me.
W/O me asking, she pulled an Olivia Pope and handled it in a day. She never even mentioned it publicly. She’s the truth. She deserves our support https://t.co/bYcuWMds0j

— Shanita Hubbard (@msshanitarenee) November 27, 2019

I’ve known @itsgabrielleu for 20 years and worked with her twice. Her integrity is unmatched. She’s unbelievably professional, she speaks up for those without a voice and she’s brilliant. #AmericasGotTalent was beyond lucky to have her. I’m horrified by how they treated her.

— Melanie Lynskey (@melanielynskey) November 28, 2019

Got a story or a tip for us? Email TooFab editors at tips@toofab.com.

View Photo Gallery Getty Halsey Rocks Custom Hand-Painted Gown for Aria Awards 2019

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2019-11-28 06:46:00Z
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'Supergirl' Star Melissa Benoist Reveals She's A Survivor Of Domestic Violence - HuffPost

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2019-11-28 04:50:00Z
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Actor Godfrey Gao, 35, dies after collapsing on reality show set - Fox News

Actor Godfrey Gao died after suffering an apparent heart attack on the set of a TV show in China. He was 35.

The Taiwanese-Canadian model and actor was filming a sports reality show in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo on Wednesday when he collapsed. His agency, JetStar Entertainment, confirmed his death on its official Facebook page.

'X FACTOR' HOPEFUL FROM 2008 FOUND DEAD AT 38

According to the agency, the 35-year-old was filming “Chase Me,” a Chinese variety series, when he reportedly fell while running. He was then rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

BROADWAY ACTRESS LAUREL GRIGGS DEAD AT 13

In this August 12, 2013, file photo, actor Godfrey Gao arrives at the world premiere of "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles. Gao has passed away while on set from an apparent heart attack.

The Taiwan-born Gao initially rose to fame by becoming the first Asian male model for the luxury brand Louis Vuitton. He acted in numerous television dramas and movies, including a role in the Hollywood film “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.”

RISING BRITISH ACTRESS MYA-LECIA NAYLOR DIES SUDDENLY AT AGE 16

His body will be transported Wednesday to Taipei, Taiwan’s capital.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-11-27 12:29:39Z
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Taiwanese-Canadian actor Godfrey Gao dies filming reality TV show - CNN

Gao collapsed during filming of a Chinese reality TV show in the early hours of Wednesday morning, JetStar Entertainment said in a statement. He was rushed to hospital where he died around three hours later.

"We are shocked and saddened" by the incident, JetStar said, adding that representatives were "always directly by his side, whilst his family is rushing to the scene."

The company thanked "friends in the media and everyone who supported Godfrey" for their thoughts, and asked for his family to be left alone to mourn.

In a statement, the producers of Zhejiang Television show "Chase Me" -- which pits celebrities against regular contestants in a variety of physical challenges -- said Gao, who also went by the name Gao Yixiang, "suddenly fell down to the ground while running, medical staff treated him on the spot, he was then rushed to hospital for treatment."

"We feel extremely distressed and extremely sad," the statement said, adding producers were contacting Gao's family "to properly handle the aftermath."

Born in Taiwan, Gao achieved success in Greater China and beyond. He was the first Asian man to model for fashion brand Louis Vuitton and starred alongside Lena Headey and Lily Collins in the 2013 film "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones." Gao also appeared in numerous Chinese-language TV shows and the 2019 sci-fi epic "Shanghai Fortress," according to his IMDB page.

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2019-11-27 08:39:00Z
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Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan's Nasty Divorce, FaceTime & Child Support Claims - TMZ

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Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan's divorce has turned nasty ...  all over child support, custody and allegations of FaceTime sabotage.

Our Jenna sources say she was stunned and super upset when Channing filed legal docs Tuesday asking a judge to come up with a holiday custody schedule.  Our sources call it grandstanding, because Jenna had already signed off on the entire schedule.  Our Channing sources counter Jenna agreed to some of the schedule but not all of it ... thus the need for the judge.

But that's just the beginning.  Several sources say, although Channing and Jenna had a custody schedule for 6-year-old Everly, there were times Jenna was working and asked to change the schedule but Channing refused.

Child support has also become a bone of contention.  Our Jenna sources say Channing isn't contributing, but our Channing sources say there's a very specific, joint account with community funds that cover Everly's expenses.

And yet another issue -- communication.  We're told when one parent has Everly, that parent has to allow the other parent to FaceTime with the girl everyday.  So Jenna sources say Channing doesn't allow her to FaceTime.  They also claim when Jenna has the child Channing almost never FaceTime's with her.

Our Channing sources call BS ... saying Channing does indeed FaceTime with Everly when she's with Jenna, but they say Jenna's so difficult Channing just FaceTime's through the nanny.

Jenna's rep, Nicole Perna, tells us, "Jenna's priority has always been, and continues to be, her daughter's well-being."

Like we said ... lots of issues. But, hey, at least they're both legally single, right?

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2019-11-27 09:00:00Z
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'Dancing With the Stars' Season 28 winners are... - CNN

"The Bachelorette's" Hannah Brown and her professional dance partner Alan Bersten took home the mirrorball trophy Monday night.

Brown bested fellow celebs Lauren Alaina, Ally Brooke and Kel Mitchell in the finale.

During the night's first round, Brown and Bersten danced the Viennese waltz to "Lover" by Taylor Swift.

They followed that up with freestyles to "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys and "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani.

In the end, it came down to Mitchell and his partner Whitney Carson versus Brown and Bersten before the latter couple was declared the winners.

Brown screamed and Bersten spun her around after the announcement was made.

The chemistry between the pair has been such this season that there was speculation they were a couple for real.

They laughed it off and have not confirmed they are anything other than friends.

Brown hasn't been the luckiest in love.

At the end of the past season of "The Bachelorette," the Alabama native split with winner Jed Wyatt over his having a girlfriend back home.

Brown was hanging out with runner-up Tyler Cameron, but he started spending lots of time with fellow model Gigi Hadid.

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2019-11-26 12:51:00Z
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Prince Andrew’s ‘public existence has been wiped out,’ says royal expert: ‘The royals can move very swiftly' - Fox News

Prince Andrew’s downfall is only beginning.

Following a disastrous interview the Duke of York gave to the BBC about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, one royal expert is claiming the 59-year-old royal won’t continue with anything official in that capacity — ever.

“His entire public existence has been wiped out by his own behavior,” royal historian Robert Lacey told People magazine for this week’s issue.

Just days after the British royal announced he was “stepping away” from public duties for the “foreseeable future,” Andrew was forced to pull out of a trip to Bahrain for an international meeting of his Pitch@Palace organization, which promotes entrepreneurs and new ideas in tech, the outlet reported.

Andrew’s office is also set to be moved out of Buckingham Palace and center around Pitch rather than his own official royal work.

PRINCE ANDREW'S JEFFREY EPSTEIN WOES ARE FAR FROM OVER DESPITE STEPPING DOWN FROM ROYAL DUTIES

Prince Andrew, right, is dealing with harsh backlash from critics and media personalities over an interview about his relationship with now-deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the numerous sexual assault allegations against the British royal. (Getty)

MEGHAN MARKLE 'HORRIFIED' BY PRINCE ANDREW'S JEFFREY EPSTEIN INTERVIEW: SOURCES

Lacey shared the moves to distance the monarchy from Andrew’s connection with the disgraced financier have occurred after discussions between the prince’s mother Queen Elizabeth, her eldest son Prince Charles, as well as other senior royals.

“[The decision] shows that the royals can move very swiftly and very ruthlessly,” said Lacey.

However, Elizabeth, 93, hasn’t completely rejected her son. The outlet revealed she was spotted alongside Andrew on horseback with two escorts on Nov. 22 — a seemingly private moment that would have been captured by photographers.

The outlet shared that the outing is likely a signal that despite her decision to ask Andrew to withdraw from public work on her behalf, the queen still stands by her son.

PRINCE ANDREW FORCED TO MOVE OFFICE OUT OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE: REPORT

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II attends the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London, on November 10, 2019. - Remembrance Sunday is an annual commemoration held on the closest Sunday to Armistice Day, November 11, the anniversary of the end of the First World War and services across Commonwealth countries remember servicemen and women who have fallen in the line of duty since WWI. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)

DOMINIC GREEN: PRINCE ANDREW ALLEGATIONS COULD BE 'BIGGEST ROYAL SCANDAL SINCE EDWARD VIII PALLED AROUND WITH NAZIS'

Andrew participated in a tell-all interview with the BBC in which he discussed his controversial relationship with the sex offender and the sexual assault allegations against him.

“I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” he said in reference to Virginia Roberts (now Virginia Giuffre), who alleged that she was forced to have sex with the Duke of York three times between 1999 and 2002 in London and on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean.

“I stayed with him and that’s [something] I kick myself for on a daily basis because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family and we try and uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side down, simple as that,” the second son of Elizabeth said.

Giuffre claimed Epstein paid her to have sex with the British royal and that she was just 17 years old during her first experience.

PRINCE ANDREW SHOULD SPEAK TO US INVESTIGATORS OVER JEFFREY EPSTEIN AFFILIATION, LAWYER SAYS

Photo from 2001 that was included in court files released last week shows Prince Andrew with his arm around the waist of 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre who says Jeffrey Epstein paid her to have sex with the prince. Andrew has denied the charges. In the background is Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. (U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals)

JEFFREY EPSTEIN ACCUSER VIRGINIA ROBERTS WASN’T THE ONLY 'YOUNG WOMAN' SEEN WITH PRINCE ANDREW, PODCAST CLAIMS

Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment. In August, the palace said in a statement that Andrew was “appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes.”

“His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behavior is abhorrent,” the palace said.

The statement was released after the Mail on Sunday newspaper obtained a Dec. 6, 2010 video appearing to show Andrew inside Epstein's opulent Manhattan home as the prince waved goodbye to a young woman.

The video was recorded two years after Epstein's controversial plea deal in which he admitted to a Florida state felony charge of prostitution involving a minor. The terms of the deal included generous work release conditions for Epstein.

PRINCE ANDREW'S EX LEFT JEFFREY EPSTEIN'S NEW YORK APARTMENT 'BECAUSE SHE WAS BEING WATCHED'

Prince Andrew, Duke of York leaves the headquarters of Crossrail at Canary Wharf on March 7, 2011, in London, England. Prince Andrew is under increasing pressure after a series of damaging revelations about him surfaced, including criticism over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

PRINCE ANDREW TO 'STEP BACK' FROM PUBLIC DUTIES OVER JEFFREY EPSTEIN RELATIONSHIP

Andrew was photographed with Epstein in 2010 in New York's Central Park after Epstein had finished serving his 18-month prison sentence. The photos sparked controversy at the time and led Andrew to quit his role as a UK trade envoy in 2011, according to Sky News.

In documents released in August, Johanna Sjoberg said she was 21 years old in 2001 when Andrew grabbed her breast at Epstein’s mansion in New York.

Sjoberg testified the incident was sparked when "someone" suggested those gathered take a picture, at which point Sjoberg said she and Ghislaine Maxwell (Epstein’s former girlfriend and alleged "madam") went to a closet and grabbed a puppet of Andrew.

"They told us to go get on the couch,” she said in the 2016 deposition. “And so Andrew and Virginia sat on the couch, and they put the puppet, the puppet on her lap. And so then I sat on Andrew’s lap, and, I believe on my own volition, and they took the puppet’s hands and put it on Virginia’s breast, and so Andrew put his on mine."

QUEEN ELIZABETH IS HAVING 'A ROUGH TIME' AFTER PRINCE ANDREW’S JEFFREY EPSTEIN INTERVIEW, ROYAL EXPERT CLAIMS

Prince Andrew is the third child of Queen Elizabeth II and her second son. (Reuters/Neil Hall)

PRINCE ANDREW'S JEFFREY EPSTEIN INTERVIEW SLAMMED AS TOTAL DISASTER BY VIEWERS, MEDIA

She added: “I knew it was Prince Andrew because I knew him as a person."

The court papers also include a photograph that has been in circulation since 2015 showing Andrew with his arm around Giuffre's bare waist in London in 2001. Giuffre said she was 17 at the time the photo was taken.

Fox News’ Jessica Napoli contributed to this report.

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2019-11-26 10:02:41Z
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