Gabrielle Union has broken her silence on the "physical and emotional toxicity" she experienced during her sole season as a judge on America’s Got Talent.

In her first AGT-focused interview since being let go by NBC last September after filing complaints about numerous alleged incidents on set, the 47-year-old actress spoke to Variety about her time on the show.

“At the end of all this, my goal is real change — and not just on this show but for the larger parent company. It starts from the top down. My goal is to create the happiest, most high-functioning, inclusive, protected and healthy example of a workplace," Gabrielle shared before sharing her reactions to several incidents she alleged to have happened on her inaugural season.

She first opened up about her decision to complain about fellow judge Simon Cowell’s smoking on her first day, saying it was a dire choice for someone “coming onto a set and you are literally met with the very definition of a toxic work environment, and it’s being carried out by the most powerful person on the production.”

“I couldn’t escape. I ended up staying sick for two months straight," she shared. "It was a cold that lingered, and turned into bronchitis, because I couldn’t shake it. It impacted my voice, which affects my ability to do my job.” Gabrielle added, “It was challenging to tend to my illness without being made to feel like I’m responsible for my own sickness. It put me in a position from day one where I felt othered. I felt isolated. I felt singled out as being difficult, when I’m asking for basic laws to be followed. I want to come to work and be healthy and safe and listened to."

She went on to discuss a racially-charged incident she was allegedly witness to involving, guest judge Jay Leno. “My first big interview in this industry, the first person who allowed me to come on their talk show, was Jay Leno. I’ve always held him in high regard, but I was not prepared for his joke,” Gabrielle said, recalling how Jay allegedly made a joke about a painting of Simon and his dogs, saying the animals looked like food items at a Korean restaurant. “I gasped. I froze. Other things had already happened, but at this point, it was so wildly racist.”

Gabrielle then shared that production's response to the incident was "We'll delete it. We'll edit it out," which she said "enraged" her. “You cannot edit out what we just experienced. There is not an edit button in my brain or in my soul. To experience this kind of racism at my job and there be nothing done about it, no discipline, no companywide email, no reminder of what is appropriate in the workplace?" she said.

Nina Jackson

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