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Gabrielle Union Breaks Her Silence Following ‘America’s Got Talent’ Drama: ‘Humbled and Thankful’

Speaking out. Gabrielle Union broke her silence on Wednesday, November 28, speaking out for the first time following her America’s Got Talent exit and the drama that followed.

Related: Stars Who Were Fired

“So many tears, so much gratitude. THANK YOU,” the actress, 47, tweeted on Wednesday night. “Just when you feel lost, adrift, alone… you got me up off the ground. Humbled and thankful, forever.”

Her tweet earned a ton of support from her followers. After her message, the Being Mary Jane alum liked multiple responses on Twitter. “Thank you @itsgabrielleu for speaking up for what’s right,” the official Time’s Up twitter account wrote. Director Lena Waithe wrote, “We love you! And we got your back,” and Lin Manuel-Miranda added, “TO THE UNION!”

Gabrielle Union America's Got Talent Exit
Gabrielle Union on ‘America’s Got Talent.’ Trae Patton/NBC

On Friday, November 22, news broke that the We’re Going to Need More Wine author and Julianne Hough, who joined the reality series ahead of season 14, will not be returning for season 15. Love B. Scott and Variety then published reports claiming Union was ousted from the show after complaining about the alleged toxic culture.

Related: TV Stars Who Left Hit Shows

The L.A.’s Finest star reportedly pushed staffers to speak up to human resources when they felt offended by a joke they deemed as racist, said by guest star Jay Leno. Additionally, Union was allegedly told multiple times by staffers that her hairstyles were “too black” for the show’s audience.

America’s Got Talent has a long history of inclusivity and diversity in both our talent and the acts championed by the show,” NBC and production company Fremantle told Us Weekly in a statement on Tuesday. “The judging and host line-up has been regularly refreshed over the years and that is one of the reasons for AGT’s enduring popularity. NBC and the producers take any issues on set seriously,”

Related: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Through the Years

On Wednesday, November 27, Union’s husband, Dwyane Wade, took to Twitter to defend his wife.

“Over this past year I’ve been approached by many people saying that my wife @itsgabrielleu is the main reason they’ve started watching #AGT or that they love her insight and sincerity on the show,” the NBA pro, 37, said. “So when i got the news that my wife was being fired—my first question was obviously why!? I am still waiting on a good answer to that question. But if anyone knows @itsgabrielleu or have heard of her you know she’s an advocate for our community and culture.”

He continued: “As proud as i were of her being selected as a judge on #AGT— I am even more proud of her standing up for what she stands for and that’s US,” Wade continued. “So [cheers] to you @itsgabrielleu on not losing sight of the lessons we’ve talked about teaching our daughter and for kicking ass while you were on that platform. Number 1 judge on one of the biggest shows in the world‼️”

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