Gabrielle Union is finally speaking up following her controversial departure from America’s Got Talent.
In a tweet sent on Wednesday night, the actress thanked her fans for their support.
“So many tears, so much gratitude,” she tweeted. “THANK YOU! Just when you feel lost, adrift, alone… you got me up off the ground. Humbled and thankful, forever.”
It was announced last week that Gabrielle Union would be leaving America’s Got Talent after her first and only season amid complaints of a “toxic culture” on the set.
According to a Variety report, the actress was ousted from the NBC hit show, alongside co-judge Julianne Hough, after expressing concern over offensive incidents that took place on the set. This included feedback critiquing hairstyles by Union that were considered “too black” for viewers, and a racist incident in which former late night talk show host Jay Leno made an inappropriate joke.
Union sought to have the incident reported to the Human Resources department, but the situation “never escalated” despite having been brought to the attention of an executive.
Union’s husband, Dwyane Wade, also publicly defended her in a series of tweets earlier this week, calling his wife “an advocate for our community and culture.”
“I am even more proud of her standing up for what she stands for and that’s US,” he 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.”
She also received support from Grey’s Anatomy actress Ellen Pompeo and singer Ariana Grande among other celebrities.
It is also being reported that Time’s Up, a legal defense fund and equity organization formed in wake of the #MeToo movement, publicly thanked Union for “speaking up for what’s right,” Variety reports.