I’ll admit, it’s been a while since I watched America’s Got Talent. But last September, when it was reported that Gabrielle Union was fired from the show after just one season as a judge, my ears perked up. First of all, I think Gabrielle Union is flawless, an opinion that’s shared by many. How dare they fire this queen?! But it quickly became clear that there was some highly questionable sh*t going on here. In November 2019, Variety published a detailed report on the toxic workplace culture at AGT, and how Gabrielle Union had tried to speak up about the issues, but wasn’t taken seriously.
This week, after remaining silent for several months, Gabrielle Union did an interview with Variety, in which she went deep on what happened behind the scenes, and why it’s so important to discuss. According to Union, the toxicity began the moment she stepped on the AGT set. She was immediately greeted by Simon Cowell (the show’s creator, executive producer, and head judge) smoking a cigarette on a closed soundstage. I knew this sh*t happened in like, the ’60s, but in 2019? What is this, Mad Men?
Union, who is “severely allergic” to cigarette smoke, “hesitantly” voiced her concerns about Cowell’s smoking to the show’s producers, and though they admitted others had complained in the past, she was essentially told nothing could be done. Because of the smoking, Union says she “ended up staying sick for two months straight. It was a cold that lingered, and turned into bronchitis.” The illness effected her voice, and in turn, her ability to do her job properly, but she says it had been made clear at the time that no one cared.
Though the response given to Union wasn’t exactly supportive, it appears that production did end up addressing her concerns. In a statement given to Variety for their report, a spokesperson for Simon Cowell said, “when he was directly informed of the smoking complaint during the first couple of days of the season, he immediately changed his behavior and the issue was never raised again.” According to Variety, “An individual familiar with the internal investigation of ‘AGT’ says the matter was addressed, but the investigation hasn’t concluded that Cowell’s indoor smoking has stopped entirely.”
But the smoking incident was just the beginning of Gabrielle Union’s issues with the way things were done at America’s Got Talent. A few weeks later, she was filming a commercial with Jay Leno, who was a guest judge on the show. While the cameras were rolling, he joked that Simon Cowell’s dogs “looked like food items at a Korean restaurant.” The joke was obviously racist, and Union was rightly horrified. She tells Variety that she had always held Jay Leno “in high regard” prior to this, but she “was not prepared for this joke… it was so wildly racist.”
Rather than confronting Leno directly, she followed protocol and voiced her concerns with production. They responded with a standard answer, that the racist joke would be edited out of the ad, but there were no consequences. Union was understandably unsatisfied with this response, telling Variety, “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?” No one should have to tolerate behavior like this, and it’s upsetting that no meaningful action was taken.
On the contrary, Union’s concerns continued throughout the season, even spreading to the contestants on the show. One of the featured acts was a man who impersonated a variety of famous singers. At the beginning of the act, the man put on a pair of black gloves to signify that he was portraying a black performer. Yikes. This is essentially a form of blackface, and Gabrielle Union says she “took it seriously.” Considering her fellow judge Julianne Hough once dealt with a blackface scandal of her own, Union was especially disappointed that NBC wasn’t “more conscientious” in their decisions. While Union’s concerns with the act were made clear before the performance, the man was cleared to perform in front of the judges and a crowd of 4,000 people. I can only imagine the frustration of sitting at your job, being forced to watch something so insensitive and offensive be celebrated by thousands of people.
And according to Variety’s sources, the racist attitudes at AGT even extended to Gabrielle Union’s appearance. During production, Union frequently changed hairstyles, as one does. But production reportedly decided that the rotating hairstyles were “too black” for their audiences, and she was given notes to keep her hair “consistent” during filming. In her interview with Variety, Union didn’t comment on this specific incident due to an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding her firing.
Speaking of that investigation, NBC and the AGT production companies reported their findings conducted by an outside investigator on Wednesday, and I’m not impressed. They said that “the investigation has shown that the concerns raised by Ms. Union had no bearing on the decision not to exercise the option on her contract.” Cool, I’m not sure how you actually prove that, but cool.
They added that “it has been revealed that no one associated with the show made any insensitive or derogatory remarks about Ms. Union’s appearance, and that neither race nor gender was a contributing factor in the advancement or elimination of contestants at any time.” Additionally, NBC reports that “the investigation has demonstrated an overall culture of diversity,” while acknowledging that “the reporting process could be improved.” Yeah, no sh*t. Gabrielle Union was arguably the most famous person on that show, and she still wasn’t listened to, so I can’t imagine what the people of color in less influential positions go through.
So basically this outside investigator was “engaged” by NBC, Fremantle (the producers of AGT), and Syco (Simon Cowell’s joint entertainment company with Sony Music), conducted a bunch of interviews, and magically came to the conclusion that everything was pretty much fine! While this probably shouldn’t come as a surprise, it feels like a pretty sh*tty conclusion to this situation.
But even though her time with America’s Got Talent has come to a close, Gabrielle Union is just getting started. She told Variety that “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.” It sounds like she intends to f*ck sh*t up, and I can’t wait to watch.
Images: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
No one wants to look old. That’s just the way it is. Every year, we spend billions of dollars on serums and SPFs and masks that are all designed to hold off the fact that we’re all getting a little bit closer to death. Sorry if that was dramatic, but it’s the truth. Whether you’re a botox aficionado or just obsessed with skincare, we all just want to age gracefully.
But somehow, there are certain celebrities who don’t age gracefully. Instead, they seem not to age at all. While I’m sure this has something to do with being able to afford the best treatments, procedures, and products on the market, there’s no substitute for good genes. I don’t know what secrets these stars have up their sleeves, but they all look freakishly good for their age (or any age).
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon is 43 years old, but she still looks the exact same as she did when she played Elle Woods for the first time. That was 18 years ago, in case you don’t feel old already. This photo of Reese was taken two nights ago at the season 2 premiere of Big Little Lies, and I’m personally offended at how radiant her skin looks. She also has an amazing style that’s classy and sophisticated, but never makes her seem older than she is. I want Reese to be my mom, but she looks more like my older sister if we’re being honest.
Jennifer Lopez
Talking about Jennifer Lopez looking amazing is nothing new, but I’m still shocked every time I see a photo of her. Her killer body is thanks to a killer workout, but her face is just as flawless. My skin hasn’t looked that good since I was nine years old. I truly would not believe that she was 49 years old, but she’s been famous since before I was born. At this rate, she’ll probably look this good after I’m dead, too.
Gabrielle Union
In the past, I’ve definitely been guilty of sleeping on Gabrielle Union, and shame on me for that. Gabrielle is hilarious, talented, and absolutely STUNNING. She posted the above photo a few days ago, while on vacation in Greece with her hubby Dwyane Wade. As evidenced in the caption, she is 46 YEARS OLD. Is she a witch? Did she make a deal with the devil? There is simply no other explanation. Gab just had her first child (god bless shady baby) last fall, but she’s still going to be the hottest mom at daycare.
Paul Rudd
how the fuck is paul rudd 50????? what kind of water is this guy drinking?????♀️ pic.twitter.com/cceituhtDN
— gabrielle (@billionstark) May 31, 2019
I wasn’t initially going to include any men on this list, but then I remembered that Paul Rudd TURNED 50 LAST MONTH. I don’t understand this, because he still looks exactly like he did in Clueless, which was basically a quarter of a century ago. It’s just not fair. On his birthday in April, everyone pointed out that this is what happens when you’re charming and unproblematic, which is true. Find me anyone who doesn’t love Paul Rudd, and I’ll tell them why they’re wrong.
Naomi Campbell
As a model, it’s obviously part of the job description to be ridiculously attractive, but most models are out of the game before they turn 30. Naomi, however, just turned 49, and is still killing the game. She looked absolutely stunning at this year’s Met Gala, and she also closed Valentino’s most recent haute couture show. I would let her throw a cell phone at me literally any day of the week.
Jennifer Aniston
jennifer aniston is 50… IM pic.twitter.com/n4MaMsTSpM
— julia ? (@queerdeliagoode) May 30, 2019
I guess starring in one of the most successful TV shows of all time clears your skin right up. Jen turned 50 in February of this year, but her face is still frozen somewhere in the mid-90s. Minus the haircut, thankfully. Now all she needs to do is get back with Brad Pitt and it will really feel like we’ve all gone back in time.
Angela Bassett
See that woman in the photo? Yeah, she’s 60. I’m super happy for all these stars looking ageless well into their 40s, but Angela Bassett really takes it to the next level. She’s basically looked the same since the 1970s. She played a Voodoo priestess on one season of American Horror Story, so she must have put a spell on herself to never get a day older. It’s working.
Who’s your favorite ageless celebrity? Do you have any secrets to keep your skin looking fresh? What am I doing wrong? Bueller?
Images: Shutterstock; reesewitherspoon, jlo, gabunion, Naomi, im.angelabassett / Instagram; billionstark, queerdeliagoode / Twitter
Like any other holiday in 2019, Mother’s Day is 25% about what you’re doing in real life, and 75% about what you post on social media. Maybe you took your mom out to a nice brunch, or at least gave a her a nice phone call, but I’m willing to bet that no matter what, but either way you definitely posted 47 photos of her on your Instagram story, despite the fact that she couldn’t figure out how to use Instagram if her life depended on it.
Celebrities are no different than us when it comes to holidays on the internet, and nearly every famous person who is/has a mom posted something to mark Mother’s Day. Obviously, all moms are great, and without them we literally wouldn’t be here, but I still managed to pick some favorite Mother’s Day posts from this year. A couple of them may or may not have made me cry, but please don’t tell anyone, because I have an image of being a bitch to uphold.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen pretty much always manages to kill it on social media, and her Mother’s Day post was no different. Her caption is simple and heartfelt, and the photo of her naked during one of her pregnancies is gorgeous. We already said we want Chrissy to adopt us, and now I really need her to teach me how to take bomb mirror selfies.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Why am I just now figuring out that Gwyneth Paltrow’s children are beautiful? Not that it’s a surprise, but when I saw a photo of her daughter Apple last week looking grown-up and stunning, I almost fell out of my chair. We are so old! Gwyneth looks totally natural in this photo with her kids, and they all look great.
Billie Lourd
I’m not crying, I just have something in my eye. If you’re not aware, Billie Lourd is an actress who just happens to be Carrie Fisher’s daughter. Her family has obviously had a tough couple of years, but her Mother’s Day tribute was all about spreading the love to whoever needs it.
Michelle Obama
The Obamas are still my first family, and they look damn good!!! Michelle’s caption is a lovely tribute to her mom, and the portrait of three generations of women together is incredible. I feel like I haven’t seen a photo of Sasha in a while, and she is like, stunningly beautiful.
Justin Timberlake
Is it weird that I want to print out this photo and have it framed for myself? Just kidding, that would be like sooooo crazy! Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel keep their relationship pretty low-key these days, but this post is gorgeous.
Khloé Kardashian
Choosing which Kardashian child is the cutest would literally be impossible for me, but True is really making a strong case for herself. Khloé has gone through a lot in the year since she gave birth, but photos like these show why it was all worth it. Honestly someone stop me from stealing this baby.
Gisele Bündchen
I love a bilingual caption moment, but I have to give Gisele a hard time for just a second. I truly don’t understand the whole “they chose me to be their mummy” thing. Like, I guess it sounds sweet, but it is so factually incorrect!! Do I need to give Gisele a quick lesson on biology, or like, how sex works? Where does Tom Brady think babies come from? Cute photo tho.
Ava Phillippe
Ava Phillippe is one of my favorite up-and-coming celeb kids, and her post for Reese Witherspoon is perfection. Idk when this photo is from, but it doesn’t really matter because Reese is stunning and does not age. Reese Witherspoon is a treasure, and this just makes me so happy.
Gabrielle Union
Okay, and now we’re at the crying portion of the article. Gabrielle Union struggled with miscarriages and difficulty getting pregnant for years, until she finally had a baby via surrogate last fall. It clearly was a dream come true for her to get to be a mother, and this photo is sheer joy. The caption is a beautiful message for mothers and mother figures everywhere, and Gabrielle is someone who obviously knows how much this means. I’m! Not! Crying!
Who else had Mother’s Day posts that made you laugh or cry? Did anyone make you cringe? Usually holidays on social media are a bit much for me, but this year Mother’s Day really delivered. My mom is probably reading this, so I love you, and please don’t ever get Instagram!
Images: chrissyteigen, gwynethpaltrow, praisethelourd, michelleobama, justintimberlake, khloekardashian, gisele, avaphillippe, gabunion / Instagram
In case you’ve been too busy making Royal Baby/Riverdale memes, I’m here to remind you that Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12th. I hope you’ve all purchased flowers for your Mom, or have at least given your brother very specific instructions on what to do, which is how I roll. Fingers crossed you don’t f*ck it up this year, Phil.
And we aren’t the only ones celebrating Mother’s Day, because celebrities have to do it too. Sure, they’re buying their mom a Maserati instead of 2-for-1 Yankee Candles, but the sentiment is the same. Some celebs are even moms themselves, which of course got us thinking about which celebrities we would want to adopt us. Not that I need to be to be adopted because my mom is obviously the best (Hi Mom! Love you! I know you’re reading this!), but every once in a while when she mentions my “freakish upper body strength” a girl might dare to dream. So let’s take a look at all the celebrity moms we wish would take us in!
Chrissy Teigen
Don’t even fight me on this one, you all know you want to be adopted by Chrissy Teigen. In this age of viral moments she’s the most viral of them all. She’s so viral in fact, Comments By Celebs has weekly dedicated roundups to the best sh*t she says. She also trolls her husband, but not in a way that’s like “I clearly emotionally abuse you at home,” but in a way that’s like “I love you awesome nerd, let’s bang.” She also is getting her own cooking show, so you know you’re eatin’ good at home. Plus, she’s a gorgeous supermodel and if you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll even look like her. Where do I sign up?
Kris Jenner
I really, really, really hate this family. Yes, I know I write about them all the time, but a girl’s gotta buy a substantial amount of wine pay the bills, you know? And tbh it would be amazing to be a child of Kris Jenner. She was obviously the architect of this family’s rise to fame, and she climbed her way up from flight attendant to media mogul. If I must respect any of them, I begrudgingly choose her. So you know what? Adopt me, Kris. Help me make a billion dollars, I guess. FINE.
Reese Witherspoon
Reese is the A-list of the A-list. She is the Dom Perignon in a room full of Veuve Clicquot. She’s an actress, producer, and badass bitch, all while being one of the realest celebrity moms. Plus, as much as she appears to be the perfect southern belle, we all know she’s got a naughty side. You’re not gonna have a bad time with Reese, and every mom needs a drinking partner. I volunteer as tribute!
Not only is Reese a movie star, but now that she has her book club, you can count on her to turn any book you love into a movie. I’m still waiting on I’ll Give You the Sun, Reese, when you adopt me can we collab?
And finally, the woman is ageless, and has clearly found a way to stop time, a feat that not even Kris Jenner has managed to master even through her many deals with the devil.
Reese laughs in the face of time.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams is the greatest of all time, and if she adopted you, Venus Williams would be your aunt. Perhaps you’ve heard of her as well? Aside from being able to serve the ball 120MPH and fighting for women’s rights, Serena is friends with THE Beyoncé and THE Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, so YOU would be able to live a life of luxury and extravagance. Count. Me. In.
Plus, you get to go to the biggest tennis matches in the world and sit in the best seats! As a mediocre high school tennis player, this is my dream life. Hi Olympia, I’m here to steal your life.
Gabrielle Union
And finally, Gabrielle Union just became a mother and is already trolling her child *slow claps*. It makes sense though, because when you’ve got a baby with the best stink eye in the game, it would be foolish not to exploit capitalize on it. Plus, I already make the same faces as Kaavia all day every day at work, so Gabs would have plenty of material to create a #shadylady IG out of me.
And those are the celebrity moms I wish would adopt me! I’m not saying this is my official application, but if the government wanted to take it that way I wouldn’t be opposed. I hope you all have a fabulous Mother’s Day!
Images: Shutterstock; chrissyteigen, krisjenner, reesewitherspoon, alexisohanian, kaaviajames / Instagram
This year was the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards and if you think I’m not going to take this opportunity to LOL like a 13-year-old boy at the number 69 and talk shit about the red carpet looks, you probably stumbled upon this website by mistake. Everyone knows that actually watching the Emmys is kind of pointless, because we’re all just going to root for the one show we’ve actually watched (why isn’t there a Housewives category? So rude) and then be disappointed when some more serious, adult-y show wins instead. Anyway, let’s rip some outfits apart—and, I guess, give credit to the ones that weren’s heinous.
THE WORST
Mandy Moore
The only possible explanation for this dress is that Mandy wants people to make memes of her. Which like, I get, because normally she’s perfect and there’d be no reason to turn her into a meme. I’m sure there are going to be some diehard fashion betches who will try to defend this Carolina Herrera gown, but there’s nothing you could tell me that will see this dress as anything but a lampshade.
Samantha Bee
Samantha Bee actually looks pretty fantastic, but my brain accidentally made the connection that this dress looks like it’s straight out of Princess Fiona’s closet and now that’s all I can think about so… sorry, I guess.
Zoe Kravitz
You know that picture you’ve had saved on your Halloween Pinterest board since 2014 of that girl dressed like a piñata that you thought was totally doable and creative? But like, you never actually tried to make the costume because you’re too lazy to do anything besides throw on some cat ears and a bodycon dress? Well, this Christian Dior gown is that costume. Generally speaking, if I can hear a dress just by looking at a photo of it, it’s a no from me.
Sarah Hyland
Sarah Hyland is totally that betch who runs to Starbucks the second Pumpkin Spice Lattes are released just for the Instagram. Like, we get it. Fall is awesome. No need to rock a dress that looks like it was made from the same material that every kindergarten teacher uses for their back to school bulletin boards. Her abs look dope though. PM me your workout.
Gabrielle Union
I’m confused. I think this is the same dress my mom wore to my bat mitzvah? I think I see a gown that I could potentially be super into, but it’s underneath a fugly cape so I’m not totally sure.
Evan Rachel Wood
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pantsuit as much as the next girl. But I feel like Evan Rachel Wood’s Jeremy Scott ensemble was going for “Hillary Clinton at the third presidential debate” but ended up at “cater waiter”. Like yes, I would love a bacon-wrapped scallop, thank you, but that’s not the point.
THE BEST
Millie Bobby Brown
If there’s one person who hit the Emmys red carpet that can do no wrong, it’s Millie Bobby Brown. I know that she’s only 13, but she’s already basically a fashion icon. Like, when nobody else has their shit together, MBB rolls up in the cutest Calvin Klein dress of all time and puts the world to shame. She might not have won to break the record for youngest Emmy winner ever, but she’s prob the youngest HBIC I’ve ever seen.
Shailene Woodley
If there are two things I feel the most “eh” about in this world, it’s green dresses and Shailene Woodley. Except, for some reason, I’m loving Shailene Woodley in this green dress. I’m not sure if I’m so into this look because I actually like it, or if it has something to do with homegirl literally showing up to the Primetime Emmys in a messy ponytail and being like “yeah I don’t even own a TV.” Giving zero fucks looks good on you, Woodley.
Priyanka Chopra
It’s nearly impossible to wear Balmain without looking like a Kardashian/Jenner wannabe, but Priyanka looks so amazing in this gown that I momentarily forgot that the Kardashians even exist. It’s almost like I feel as though I shouldn’t compliment anyone else’s look because obviously it’s not as perfect as Priyanka’s.
Jessica Lange
I’m still really salty that Jessica Lange isn’t on this season of American Horror Story, so I’m going to throw her on this list to give her a little face time. Jessica Lange is one of those people who makes you feel stupid for complaining about how bad your hangovers are at age 25, because she’s literally the same age as your grandmother and still slays in Gucci whenever she feels like it. But like, not sure what’s going on with that stray arm, though—she’s just like, dangling it out there in almost all of her pictures. Google it if you don’t believe me. Jessica, pls advise.
