America's Got Talent fans are bound to be disappointed because the next season of the show is going to be taking place without two of the most popular judges. Both Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough won't be returning to the show after just one season. There's been a lot of speculation as to why the two stars aren't coming back, but now a source from NBC is saying that the reason for the departure may have something to do with Gabrielle speaking out about racism and sexism behind the scenes of the show.
According to LoveBScott, Gabrielle was fired after speaking out against some "problematic" situations. While nothing has been confirmed, and the star has not spoken publicly about her firing, there has been a lot of talk in the past about how the popular entertainment show makes important decisions. There has also been a lot of turnover in recent years, which is adding to the speculation about her departure.
Gabrielle Union joined America's Got Talent for the most recent season, along with Julianne Hough. The two judges replaced Mel B and Heidi Klum. According to NBC sources and the website LoveBScott, there's a lot more to learn about the situation in regard to why Gabrielle is not returning for another season.
Today confirmed the sudden news of Gabrielle's departure from the hit show. Initially it was said that the judge would be "too busy" with other projects for another season. However, recent reports claim Gabrielle was fired for speaking out about some "problematic" situations involving racism and sexism — both of which have been brought up before in regard to changeovers on the show.
Judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel are set to return to the show. However, there have been frequent switch-ups in the show’s long-running history. Terry Crews replaced former host Tyra Banks last season, who in turn replaced Nick Cannon in 2017.
The source reportedly told NBC, "[Gabrielle’s] contract was not renewed after being the #1 talent on the show, NBC and network TV. She set the record for her Golden Buzzer. They only replace the women and blacks at Simon’s whim."
The source continued, "She wouldn’t walk away from $12 million because she’s ‘busy.’ Based on weekly interactions on social media, by the time AGT finale aired Gabrielle was the #1 talent on network TV for 2019. Why not pick up someone’s option in extreme success?”
The insider also added that both Gabrielle and Julianne were more highly ranked than the other judges, like Howie Mandel. But the suggestion that these kinds of situations have come up before is pretty hard to ignore. Nick Cannon also claimed he was threatened with termination after mentioning the network's racial bias. The host quit the show in 2017.
Whatever the reason for Gabrielle's departure, she will undoubtedly be missed. She was a fierce and uplifting judge on the show, and the audience seemed to love her as much as she loved her job. She spoke out about being a working mother earlier this year to Us Weekly.
"I don't have mom guilt, and I'll tell you why," she said on the red carpet. "Being able to have the job that I love and the baby that I dreamed of [is great]. I'm a better mom because I'm able to go away and do what I love."
She continued, "Even if I failed miserably, I'm following my dreams. I would be less of a mother if I didn't set out every day to try to make my dreams come true and other people's dreams come true. So, I don't have guilt."
One thing is clear, Gabrielle Union always says what's on her mind, whether it comes to motherhood, work, or both. Chances are, we're going to be hearing a lot more about why she was fired from America's Got Talent in the near future. Either way, it's a huge loss for the show no matter how you look at it, but perhaps it will be a wake-up call for the network to reexamine the way it does business.
