Eva Longoria Slams ‘Toxic’ NBC Amid Gabrielle Union’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ Departure

NBC has been on the receiving end of criticism after it was reported that Gabrielle Union was fired as a judge on America’s Got Talent after she spoke up about “problematic” situations on the show, and Eva Longoria was one of multiple celebrities to share social media messages in support of Union on Monday.

“What @gabunion experienced on set at @NBC’s #AmericasGotTalent is unacceptable,” she wrote alongside a photo of an article detailing a petition started by the Time’s Up organization asking “NBC to stop protecting powerful men at the expense of its workers and address its toxic workplace culture, once and for all.”

“It’s time for @NBCUniversal to commit to long-term, concrete action to fix its toxic workplace culture and ensure safety and equity for all its workers,” Longoria wrote. “Add your name through @timesupnow Instagram story. #TimeUp on the imbalance of power.”

“TIME’S UP applauds Union for her courage and once again calls on NBC to take these allegations seriously and take concrete steps to foster a safe and equitable workplace,” the petition reads. “Union’s experience shows that NBCUniversal still has a lot of work to do to change its culture, so discrimination, harassment, and retaliation are no longer tolerated at the company.”

Several other stars including Ellen Pompeo, Debra Messing, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ariana Grande have also publicly supported Union.

It was reported last week that Union and fellow judge Julianne Hough were fired from the show after receiving “excessive notes” on their physical appearance, Variety reported. In addition, Union was reportedly told that her various hair styles were “too black” for the show’s audience at least half a dozen times. Hough has denied the report and said in a statement that she had a “wonderful time” on the show.

The report also alleges that Union urged producers to report an offensive joke made by Jay Leno when the comedian visited the show in April to appear as a guest judge. Four people present for the taping said that Leno joked about a painting of Simon Cowell and his dogs, saying that the animals “looked like something one would find “on the menu at a Korean restaurant.”

Another incident reportedly occurred during an audition taping for Season 14, when Union and other staff members raised a concern over the way a contestant portrayed people of color during his performance.

In a statement on Sunday, NBC and producers Fremantle and Syco said they are working with Union to “hear more about her concerns.”

“We remain committed to ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees and take very seriously any questions about workplace culture,” the group said, via Variety. “We are working with Ms. Union through her representatives to hear more about her concerns, following which we will take whatever next steps may be appropriate.”

Also on Sunday, Union retweeted a message from writer Joelle Monique outlining the steps to a proper apology.

Photo Credit: Getty / Axelle/Bauer-Griffin