Gabrielle Union was the highest-performing judge on America's Got Talent, according to Nielsen ratings—and yet she was dismissed from the show after just one season.
She subsequently alleged that she was fired for calling out on-set racism and raising other concerns about the workplace environment on the show, which the show's production company adamantly denies.
In a new interview with Variety, Union spoke at length about her experience on America's Got Talent, and why she considered it vital to speak out.
Union said her time on America's Got Talent was problematic from her very first day, when Simon Cowell smoked indoors next to her.