TV company Fremantle is being investigated after Orlando Jones was fired from American Gods in a ‘racially motivated move’ – just days after the Gabrielle Union and America’s Got Talent row erupted
- Television company Fremantle is being investigated after Orlando Jones was fired from American Gods in a move he claims was racially motivated
- It comes soon after an investigation was launched into the firing of Gabrielle Union as host of America’s Got Talent, which is another Fremantle production
- The union for actors, SAG-AFTRA, is behind the investigations into both cases
- Fremantle has not yet commented about the union investigation
Television company Fremantle is being investigated after Orlando Jones was fired from American Gods in a move he claims was racially motivated.
It comes soon after an investigation was launched into the firing of Gabrielle Union as host of America’s Got Talent, which is another Fremantle production.
The labor union for actors, SAG-AFTRA, is behind the investigations into both cases.
Television company Fremantle is being investigated after actor Orlando Jones and host Gabrielle Union were both fired in what they claims were racially motivated incidents
‘After initial meetings with Gabrielle Union and her representatives about her experiences on America’s Got Talent, and after learning more about Orlando Jones’s experience on American Gods, SAG-AFTRA is expanding its investigation of Fremantle Media,’ the union said in a statement on Friday.
‘Our enforcement actions are handled confidentially to protect the members involved, and we typically do not publicize these matters unless the affected members request that we do so. We have nothing further to report at this time.’
SAG-AFTRA started investigating Union’s departure from the talent show earlier this month when she claimed she had faced racial discrimination on the NBC show.
Union claims that producers failed to act on her complaints.
Jones tweeted earlier this month that his forced exit from the Starz drama series American Gods was racially motivated
At the time of her firing, sources told Variety that Union had received criticism on her appearance, including that her hairstyles were ‘too black’ for the America’s Got Talent audience.
Just days after the circumstances around Union’s firing became public, Jones tweeted that his forced exit from the Starz drama series was racially motivated.
He claims an American Gods showrunner had said his character, Mr Nancy, was sending ‘the wrong message for black America’.
The show denied that Jones was fired, saying the production company had decided to not pick up the third season option of his contract.
Jones also claimed that Fremantle treated him like a second class citizen for doing his job well.
After Jones started angrily tweeting, Union chimed in and posted: ‘Ohhhhhhhhhhh… let’s chat my friend. #StrongerTogether’.
Fremantle has not yet commented about the union investigation.
After Jones started angrily tweeting, Union chimed in and posted: ‘Ohhhhhhhhhhh… let’s chat my friend. #StrongerTogether’
At the time of her firing, sources told Variety that Union had received criticism on her appearance, including that her hairstyles were ‘too black’ for the America’s Got Talent audience