Ex-America's Got Talent judge Gabrielle Union claims Simon Cowell doesn’t believe the "rules apply to him"
Ex-America's Got Talent judge Gabrielle Union has spoken out about what she says was Simon Cowell's behaviour during her time on the show.
Following her exit from the show, it was revealed that Union had filed a complaint against AGT's network NBC, production companies and Cowell over allegations of racism and sexism on set, something that was denied after NBC conducted an internal investigation.
Now, she's claimed that the TV mogul doesn’t believe that "the rules apply to him".
Speaking to Trevor Noah on The Daily Show (via Metro), Union said: "Day one, Simon Cowell is smoking cigarettes inside. I’ve worked a long time. I’ve worked with all kinds of people. I’ve never experienced that."
Related: America's Got Talent confirms new judges joining Simon Cowell after Gabrielle Union controversy
"When your boss — the person who has the ability to determine who gets opportunities and who doesn’t — doesn’t believe that the... rules apply to him," she continued, before adding that she has a severe allergy to cigarette smoke.
"And he does it in full view of NBC, Fremantle and Syco and no one cares about Simon Cowell exposing all of these employees to second-hand smoke. That’s day one."
Related: Simon Cowell reveals if America's Got Talent will continue amid the pandemic
According to Deadline, Union has filed a harassment, discrimination and retaliation complaint with California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), naming producers FremantleMedia and Simon Cowell's Syco as well as NBC Universal and Simon Cowell himself.
Her complaint detailed allegations of insensitivity and sexism on set, while also making the claim that NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy "threatened Union through her agent" in regards to her speaking out against racism on set.
NBC launched an internal investigation into Union's claims in December. The company shared a statement about the result of the investigation which said that "the concerns raised by Ms. Union had no bearing on the decision not to exercise the option on her contract".
It read: "While the investigation has demonstrated an overall culture of diversity, it has also highlighted some areas in which reporting processes could be improved.
"Through the investigation process, it has been revealed that no one associated with the show made any insensitive or derogatory remarks about Ms. Union's appearance, and that neither race nor gender was a contributing factor in the advancement or elimination of contestants at any time."
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