Neighbours actor ‘removed’ from set following racial slurs
An actor on the long-running soap Neighbours was allegedly removed from set for a week following racial slurs.
The actor also had to undergo cultural sensitivity training, reports The Guardian.
The latest claims of on-set racism by Indigenous actor Shareena Clanton follow other similar claims by Meyne Wyatt.
Neighbours actor ‘removed’ from set
Clanton told The Guardian the actor involved used the ‘N’ word repeatedly in front of her.
As a result, Fremantle, which produces Neighbours for Network Ten, temporarily removed the actor and ordered them to attend cultural training.
It is unclear if Fremantle, Network Ten or an outside body conducted this training.
Segregated green rooms
Clanton also told The Guardian Fremantle had to create segregated green room spaces to keep the peace between the cast and crew.
She described the Neighbours set as a “toxic” environment, with an “unhealthy level of silent complicity” from fellow actors in addition to management.
“There was a lot of commentary that was highly inflammatory, sexist, misogynistic, crass and crude.
“The kind of comments that if I were to make in any other workspace would absolutely [result in] instant dismissal.
“But somehow people just continued to get a gentle word spoken to them, or have a polite side word between [the alleged perpetrator] and the person who was offended by what was being said.”
Additionally, Clanton alleges another colleague repeatedly used the phrase “cum slut” when describing her character on another show.
And in yet another incident, she also claims a white actor called a fellow actor of colour a “lil’ monkey”.
“White Australia has called me an ape and a monkey all my life,” she told The Guardian.
Negative impact on career
Clanton currently stars in Wentworth – also produced by Fremantle.
She accepts her decision to call out the discrimination on the Neighbours set will likely have a negative impact on her career.
“But I think for me, it is not unreasonable to speak about these individual experiences, because they form part of a collective of toxic work environments.
“It’s no longer [about] protecting individuals or a workplace environment or a production house that has various levels of complicity and [continues to allow] unhealthy, toxic workplace conduct that would just not be tolerated anywhere outside the film industry.”
Earlier this week, fellow Indigenous actor Meyne Wyatt also claimed that experienced racism working on Neighbours between 2014 and 2016.
Fremantle Media is yet to comment on the allegations.
Please call our specialist team at Fair Work Claims today on
To connect with us, please follow us on
Fair Work Claims is a private consultancy and advocacy firm with no affiliation to any government agency, commission or tribunal.
Get in touch with us
