As Soap Central previously reported, former The Young and the Restless actress Victoria Rowell (ex-Drucilla Winters) has decided to sue CBS and Sony with the claim that they refused to rehire her due to her outspoken nature on the subject of diversity. And now she's going one step further, equating the corporate entities' actions with terrorism.
In an exclusive interview with The Wrap, the Maine native says, "The level of retaliation in entertainment is profound -- it's terrorism."
She continues, "When you think of not being allowed to work in your art form as a writer, a director, because you speak out... It's systemic. Agents, managers, they don't want to rock the boat, because they have a whole cadre of talent they have to keep employed."
As fans may recall, the actress -- who left Y&R in 2007 after years of alleged racism and discrimination -- filed a lawsuit against both CBS and Sony on February 11, claiming that producers of Y&R refused to rehire her because of her comments regarding the aforementioned companies' lack of diversity.
Some may be asking why the actress would want to come back, considering the racism she claims to have experienced and her public dissatisfaction with the network and Sony. She argues that her desire to return is to bring about change and then be able to take advantage of the new environment. "You want to participate in the process of justice realized," she says. "You don't fight and you don't work towards justice to shrink from the positive outcome. Rosa Parks stood her ground and would not give up her seat. Is that to suggest that once she won the right -- does that mean she no longer rides a bus again?"
For more about Rowell's case, including the ways she plans to continue to take action and specific examples of the discrimination she claims to have experienced while on Y&R from 1990 to 2007, read The Wrap's full article here.
What do you think about Rowell's comment that CBS and Sony are acting like terrorists? As more details of her plight are released, do you feel more confident she has a solid case? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
