Terry Crews Apologizes to Gabrielle Union Over America’s Got Talent Controversy

Time to make amends.

After news broke that Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough would not be returning as judges on America’s Got Talent, reports quickly circulated of behind the scenes issues. Union claimed that there were “offensive” events taking place on set, but Terry Crews who also worked on the show did an interview with Today claiming he never saw anything of the sort. 

“That was never my experience on America’s Got Talent. In fact, it was the most diverse place I have ever been in my 20 years of entertainment,” he explains. “The top 10 acts were Asian, women, older, younger, Black, white—it was everything in the gamut.” Union later addressed Crews’ claims in her own Twitter thread.

“Truth telling, wanting change & having MULTIPLE witnesses who bravely came forward to let EVERYONE know I didn’t lie or exaggerate, really exposes those who enthusiastically will throw you under the bus, forgetting quickly who stepped up 4 THEIR truth,” she released in a tweet seemingly directed at Crews. Now, Crews is clearing the air and extending an olive branch to Union in his own tweet.  

“I told @KevinHart4real a while ago, he needed 2 ‘acknowledge the pain of other people.’ Right now I have to do the same thing,” he started his thread. “I want to apologize for the comments I made. I realize there are a lot of Black women hurt and let down by what I said and also by what I didn’t say.” 

He continued, “I hear you, I respect you and understand you. I am sorry and I am here to support you. I spoke from my own personal point of view without first taking into consideration someone else’s experience.” Crews also shared that he may have been too quick to react based off anger he was feeling. 

“I allowed disrespectful comments directed at me and my family to cause me to react angrily instead of responding thoughtfully. This certainly caused more harm, and it is my hope that I can amend any pain I have caused to those who were hurt by my words,” he shared. 

Crews ended by making a direct appeal to his former co-star and sharing his deepest apologies to Union. “@itsgabrielleu, I want you to know it was never my intention to invalidate your experience— but that is what I did. I apologize. You have been through a lot in this business, and with that I empathize with the struggle toward fairness and equality in the workplace,” he pleaded with the actress. “You are a role model to the entire black community and In my desire to be professionally neutral as your co-worker, I should have at the very least understood you just needed my support.” 

The actress has yet to respond to the public apology.