Victoria Rowell Blasts 'Young & The Restless' Show Execs and Producers as Racist, Still Hopes for Return
Even as she angles to return to the show, soap opera acting veteran Victoria Rowell is blasting executives and cast members of the "Young & The Restless" series she once starred on as racist.
The 56-year-old acrress starred as Drucilla Winters for 14 years on the CBS aired show; years she now claims were filled with tense and disrespectful moments. Rowell left the show in 2007 for what she still describes as discrimination.
According to TMZ, among her many examples are instances where she said colleague Melody Thomas Scott, who played Nikki Newman, mocked her Afro-style wig. In another episode, she said Michelle Stafford, playing Phyllis Summer Abbott Newman, spit on her and called her a "freak."
Rowell also claims she was labeled and told she was mentally unstable, and was once physically threatened by Peter Bergman, who still stars on the show as Jack Abbott. In addition, she claims she once expressed interest in a writing/producer post, but insists it was never really in the cards, because up until 2010, no black person had excelled to such heights in the show's 37 year history.
TMZ adds show executives never killed off Rowell's character and have been known to tease the audience of a possible return by using stock footage of her.
Back in February of this year, People magazine reported Rowell formally sued the network and the show's producers for racial discrimination. She further alleged that "CBS, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and others conspired to keep her off the air in retaliation for her public criticisms of the show's alleged lack of diversity."
Court documents also claimed the actress was left "impoverished" and blackballed because she elected to speak out against the kind of racism she claims she experienced and frequently saw directed at others.
Since 2010, Rowell insists she has made several attempts to reprise her role on the show, including taking her case directly to network honcho Les Moonves, who said he was no longer involved in programming or casting decisions for the show.
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