Why Simon Cowell And Howard Stern Are Beefing Over 'America's Got Talent'
There's a war at "America's Got Talent!"
Instagram Why are Simon Cowell and Howard Stern feuding? That's been the question on everyone's mind since it was revealed that the two "America's Got Talent" hosts don't exactly get along. Who would have thought that Gabrielle Union's departure from the hit NBC talent show would have sparked this firestorm? (Although, as we shall soon see, those who are "in the know" aren't surprised by all this at all.)
After just one season, actress Gabrielle Union — and former "Dancing With The Stars" star and judge Julianne Hough — were released from their contracts at the hit NBC show, "America's Got Talent." Reportedly, Gabrielle Union was subjected to a barrage of racial criticisms, with a flashpoint coming when guest judge Jay Leno made a racist joke at the expense of Asian people. Union ultimately called the environment a "toxic culture." (This was an allegation somewhat confirmed by Julianne Hough, who said that it was imperative that people not only be heard but listen, as well. She also said that she was glad that things were changing for the better and that people are starting to be given the opportunity to be heard.)
Gabrielle's departure from "America's Got Talent" kicked off a firestorm of controversy, and now, it's been revealed that Simon Cowell and Howard Stern are duking it out. Here's what we know about their feud.
1. Howard Stern blames Simon Cowell for the "toxic culture" at "America's Got Talent."
Who knew that we would see the day when Howard Stern was "woke?" What a time to be alive. Anyway, the shock jock backed up Gabrielle Union's claims that the culture at "America's Got Talent" is a "toxic" one, and Stern places the blame squarely on Simon Cowell's shoulders. "He sets it up that the men stay. No matter how ugly [the men] are, no matter how old they are, no matter how fat they are, no matter how talentless they are,” Stern said, while also claiming that, under Cowell's tutelage, AGT is a "boys club."
2. Sharon Osbourne agrees with Howard Stern's assessment of the situation.
"I'm going to be truthful. It is a boys' club, OK? It is. And the boys take care of each other. And the women are not paid as much as the men," Sharon Osbourne said, backing up Howard Stern's claims about the show's environment. And while Osbourne says she wasn't on AGT at the same time that Cowell was, she cited examples from Cowell's other shows that proved he creates a "boys club" type of environment, such as the season of "X-Factor" that featured then 21-year-old Demi Lovato and then 31-year-old Britney Spears as judges alongside Cowell and L.A. Reid. She said: "Now, the guys looked like two high-rollers in Vegas who picked up a couple of kids. No, it's true. They looked like dirty old men beside these two little girls. And I was open. I told L.A. Reid and I told Simon. It's nothing I wouldn't say to their face: you look like two dirty old men."
3. But Howard Stern didn't exactly defend Gabrielle Union, either.
When word first got out that Gabrielle Union had been fired from "America's Got Talent," Howard Stern didn't exactly take up for the actress. "Let's go on record and say that one million dogs are still eaten annually in South Korea, and if Gabrielle Union wants to affect positive change, maybe focus on the horrors of Korean dog farms and let the old irrelevant comic [referring to Jay Leno] live in peace," he said. Um...okay. Yikes. Yes, that's terrible, and yes, attention should be brought to that horrible practice, but...what does that have to do with the matter at hand now?
4. Howard Stern had a few choice words for Simon Cowell, too.
In case you're wondering what Howard Stern really thinks of Simon Cowell, let it be known that the shock jock thinks that the former "American Idol" judge is a "big-t*tted, extra fat f**k." He called Cowell this on his Sirius XM radio show. Well. Alright then. Don't hold back Howard.
5. He also thinks Simon Cowell orchestrated Gabrielle Union's firing.
Taking it one step further again, Howard Stern says that Simon Cowell orchestrated Gabrielle Union's firing, because he's always looking for "younger, hotter" chicks to take the place of the previous year's female judges. He also said that Cowell did the same thing with Mel B and Heidi Klum, so it comes as no surprise that he did it to Gabrielle Union, too.
6. Simon Cowell hasn't responded, but his company is under investigation.
While Simon Cowell hasn't commented, at all, on Howard Stern's accusations, it may be because he's got bigger things to worry about than Stern's well-deserved snark. Both NBC and Simon Cowell's companies are, reportedly, under probe for helping to create a "toxic culture" after Union's racism claims.
This is definitely going to get even messier and we'll keep you posted on all the developments!
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series and is the CEO of the acclaimed G-Force Marketing & Publicity firm, which has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter and has scored film, television, radio, and print placements for celebrity clientele worldwide.