The ladies on “The View” called out NBC over Gabrielle Union’s shocking exit from the NBC reality competition series “America’s Got Talent.”
The comments were made during a panel discussion Tuesday on the ABC daytime show about Union being let go following allegations that it was a “toxic and racist work environment” on the show, per Joy Behar. (RELATED: Gabrielle Union Shows Up To ‘America’s Got Talent’ Red Carpet Wearing Dwyane Wade Dress)
The co-host then noted that “former judge from the show, Howard Stern, came for Simon Cowell yesterday” and she played a clip of the legendary radio host calling out the network.
Ronan Farrow explained that he’s already done a lot of reporting on the network and said that “source after source is saying there is a systemic cultural problem with this kind of toxicity” at NBC, while addiing that he thinks we as a culture still “just don’t listen to women enough.” (RELATED: Camila Cabello And Shawn Mendes Appear To Confirm Dating Rumors After Kissing Photos Surface)
Sunny Hostin then asked why complaints weren’t rising to the top and asked who that would be.
“Steve Burks, the CEO of NBC universal,” Farrow replied. “He [Burks] has kept some of those men accused of abuse and some of the people who participated in those secret settlements in leadership positions in the news division and it ultimately falls on him to decide what happens.”
“You’re calling him out right now on television,” Behar quipped.
“If the buck stops with him, why does he still have a job,” Hostin responded.
“Because he’s the boss,” Joy replied.
“No, the shareholders are the boss,” Sunny explained.
“I just want to caution that we’re not to conflate what happens at “America’s Got Talent” with what you reported on about NBC’s sexual harassment suits,” Behar interjected. “They’re two separate things. This is really Simon Cowell was smoking, she didn’t like it.”
“But she was branded difficult because of her serious complaints and I think what all of us were so upset about yesterday is men are never called difficult when they complain about things,” Meghan McCain replied. “When women complain about, justifiable from this reporting, workplace hostility and workplace culture, everything she said I 100 percent believe and think is fair game to have a conversation with executives about.”
“In return she’s fired and branded difficult,” she added. “At the same time she’s bringing in more social media hits and following than any other host.”
McCain continued, “It looks…I think the fish rots from the head and what happens in the news division has filtered down to entertainment quickly.”
“Let’s not forget that they also said her hairstyles were too black for the audience so there’s a racial bias component as well and I think that is very serious,” Hostin added.
“And she [Union] was ticked off from a joke that Jay Leno said,” Behar explained.