Actor’s union SAG-AFTRA is furthering its investigation of Fremantle, one of the biggest TV creators and distributors, after the departure of American Gods‘ Orlando Jones.
Jones was fired from American Gods on September 10, 2019 as the Starz show prepared for its third season.
The production company claims that Jones did not come back to the show because his option was not picked up. However, Jones is saying that the decision was racially motivated.
“I was fired from American Gods. There will be no more Mr. Nancy…,” Jones said in a video posted to his Twitter account. “I’m not going to name names, but the new season three showrunner is Connecticut-born and Yale educated, so he’s very smart. He thinks that Mr. Nancy…is the wrong message for black America…If they did not get rid of that angry god Mr. Nancy he’d start an…uprising in this country.”
Jones’ exit is alarming since it follows the recent termination of actor and host Gabrielle Union from another Fremantle production America’s Got Talent.
She also claimed that there were issues with race sensitivity and bias before she was handed her walking papers.
SAG-AFTRA released the following statement.
“After initial meetings with Gabrielle Union and her representatives about her experiences on America’s Got Talent, and after learning more about Orlando Jones’s experience on American Gods, SAG-AFTRA is expanding its investigation of Fremantle. Our enforcement actions are handled confidentially to protect the members involved, and we typically do not publicize these matters unless the affected members request that we do so.”
An international producer and distributor of hit shows, Fremantle is a subsidiary of Bertelsmann’s RTL Group. The company has grown as it has acquired the rights to many American shows, such as The X Factor, The Price Is Right, Family Feud and Let’s Make A Deal.
