Heidi Klum revealed she got trolled after defending America’s Got Talent amid controversy over Gabrielle Union’s axing and claims of ‘toxicity’ behind the scenes.
The AGT judge claimed she got called ‘a white woman’ after she opened up about her own experience on the talent show.
In November last year, it emerged that NBC had decided not to renew Gabrielle and Julianne Hough’s contracts despite their well-received stints as guest judges on the last season of Simon Cowell’s hit reality talent series.
It was suggested Gabrielle and Julianne expressed their complaints about the culture amongst staff.
Heid addressed the claims at the time and said while she cannot speak for her colleagues, she described her experience as ‘amazing’.
The star has since admitted that she got trolled because of her comments and it mainly focussed on the fact she is a white woman.
‘A lot of people got mad at me. I was called, for example, “a white woman”,’ she began.
‘I think it is important for everyone to speak their truth. I think that when there is a story, it should be told. I had a different story.’
‘I can only speak to what I saw — it has nothing to do with what colour I am. I am a human so I just looked at what I saw’, she continued to the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column.
Heidi said during the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, according to USA Today: ‘I’ve only had an amazing experience.
‘I can’t speak for [Gabrielle]. I didn’t experience the same thing. To me, everyone treats you with the utmost respect. I’ve never seen anything that was weird or hurtful.’
It comes after four people who attended the taping of Jay Leno’s guest appearance on AGT claimed the comedian joked about dogs in a painting of Simon Cowell and said they looked like something ‘on the menu at a Korean restaurant’, perpetuating the stereotype that Asian people consume dogs.
Gabrielle, 31, was said to have urged producers to report the joke to HR at NBC, but it never was.
The joke also never made it to air as it was reportedly cut from the episode when it eventually aired on 6 August. Sources also claimed Gabrielle had received comments about their physical appearance from producers.
Late last year Gabrielle met with NBC representatives for a five-hour meeting, in order to push for ‘real change’ on the show. Following the meeting, she tweeted: ‘We had a lengthy 5-hour, and what I thought to be, productive meeting yesterday.
‘I was able to, again, express my unfiltered truth. I led with transparency and my desire and hope for real change.’
Following the claims, NBC has promised to make a ‘further investigation’ into Gabrielle’s complaints.
They said in a statement: ‘The initial conversation was candid and productive.
‘While there will be a further investigation to get a deeper understanding of the facts, we are working with Gabrielle to come to a positive resolution.’
The broadcaster reportedly plans to bring in an independent investigator to probe the show and AGT creator Simon Cowell, who will likely be asked to switch things up.
A source said: ‘The ball is in NBC’s court to see if they can get Cowell to agree to make some changes to the way things are done on the show.’
America’s Got Talent has been approached for a comment.
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