Dwyane Wade Is ‘Proud’ of Gabrielle Union After Reportedly Being Fired From ‘AGT’: ‘No. 1 Judge’
Get yourself a husband like Dwyane Wade! The basketball player stuck up for his wife, Gabrielle Union, following the news that she was reportedly fired from America’s Got Talent after she flagged a racist joke on set, Variety reported.
“’Men lie, women lie, numers don’t.’ 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 or sincerity on the show,” the 37-year-old began on Twitter on Wednesday, November 27. “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.”
Despite the rocky situation, the Miami transplant made it clear that his wife was an excellent addition to the NBC show. “As proud as I [was] 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,” he gushed. “So, [cheers emoji] 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. No. 1 judge on one of the biggest shows in the world!!”
Of course, people took to the comments section to vent about the situation. One person wrote, “It’s their loss. Only watched for her commentary and to see representation!! It’s unfortunate even in 2019 people still want the marginalized to sit down and shut up! It’s encouraging to see people saying NO!!” while another echoed, “Thought she was the best judge on the show.” A third person chimed in, writing, “I won’t watch it again, and it was one of my favorites. Best to you and your beautiful queen.”
The Bring It On actress, 47, and Julianne Hough revealed they were both leaving the show due to their contracts not being renewed, but it looks like there might be more to the story. According to Variety, Jay Leno — who appeared as a guest judge this past season — made a controversial comment about fellow judge Simon Cowell’s dogs and how they could be found “on the menu at a Korean restaurant.” Gabrielle didn’t appreciate the remark and wanted human resources to know what was going on, but several insiders told the outlet that it was never actually brought to HR’s attention. Nevertheless, it was cut from the episode, which aired on August 6.
This wasn’t the first time those types of comments were made on the show, as sources claimed the environment was a “toxic culture.” Ultimately, NBC and series producer Fremantle denied the allegations. “America’s Got Talent has a long history of inclusivity and diversity in both our talent and the acts championed by the show,” they told Us Weekly in a statement on November 26. “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.”
Julianne, 31, also insisted everything was fine on the show. “I had a wonderful time on America’s Got Talent. I loved working with the cast, crew and producers. I am happy to continue my working relationship with NBC,” she said. “I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
Gabrielle has yet to speak out about the incident, but she did a post a photo of her daughter, Kaavia, 1 — whom she shares with Dwyane — on Friday, November 22 — the same day she revealed she would not be returning to AGT, and it seemed a bit shady. “Melanin Queens. Be you. Stand up for yourself and anyone being oppressed or beaten down,” she wrote. “Stand tall. Speak up. Live loud and proud. Be fearless. Do not be silenced. We gotchu [sic] my loves, we gotchu [sic]. Lift us all up in the light of goodness, and please hold us there. Thank you guys for the perfect anthem @ciara @lala @lupitanyongo. City Girls @esterdean @MelaninQueen.”
Way to stick up for yourself, girl!
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