Australia’s longest running soap Neighbours has been plagued with numerous racism allegations in recent weeks from former cast members.
And on Wednesday, actress Sharon Johal released a statement about her ‘painful’ four years on the show, which included racial slurs, mocking comments and a colleague calling her a ‘c**t’ when she confronted them over an offensive remark.
Sharon, who played Dipi Rebecchi from 2017 until last month, said: ‘The past week for me has been a traumatising, triggering and painful experience, with the resurfacing of compounded trauma I have tried to deny, bury, and ultimately, survive.’
Allegations: On Wednesday, actress Sharon Johal released a statement about her ‘painful’ four years on Neighbours, which included racial slurs, mocking comments and a colleague calling her a ‘c**t’ after she confronted them over an offensive remark
She went on to allege that on more than one occasion, a current cast member (not a person of colour) directly referred to her as ‘you people’, while speaking in derogatory terms about an altercation they were involved in with an Indian person.
She says the same cast member repeatedly referred to her as ‘the black one’ and/or blackie’ behind her back while in the presence of crew members, and that the person claimed the show only employs Indian actors ‘to fill their diversity quota’.
Sharon says she communicated the comments to management, who were sympathetic and confronted the actor on one occasion to her knowledge – but the approach only caused her to become a target once again.
‘For example, it had been reported to me that a cast and crew member each called me a “c**t” to another cast member after I confronted them over offensive comments,’ she alleged.
Speaking out: Sharon, who played Dipi Rebecchi from 2017 until last month, said: ‘The past week for me has been a traumatising, triggering and painful experience, with the resurfacing of compounded trauma I have tried to deny, bury, and ultimately, survive’
Sharon also claims a former cast member (not a person of colour) compared her to ‘a bobble-head toy’ accompanied by the comment, ‘Oh, it’s like you guys’ – referring to Indians.’
‘The same cast member repeatedly mimicked the Indian character Apu from the Simpsons with accompanying Indian accent and movement of head in my presence, despite me requesting they desist,’ she added.
Sharon also said she received horrifying abuse on the show’s social media pages, but when she asked for the comments to be moderated she was advised: ‘We leave the comments as they are for people to discuss.’
‘It is clear the system has failed,’ Sharon continued, before listing a series of changes she hopes the show will make – including cultural awareness training, better duty of care regarding online bullying, and a zero-tolerance approach to on-set racism.
Neighbours’ production company Fremantle has asked Campfire X, creative leaders in Indigenous Cultural Protocols, to ‘conduct an independent review of Neighbours and the production process’.
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia regarding Sharon’s allegations, a Fremantle spokesperson said: ‘We remain committed to ensuring a respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees on the set of Neighbours and take very seriously any questions about racism or any other form of discrimination.
‘We are engaging an independent legal investigation to work concurrently with Campfire X’s cultural review and hope to work directly with the individuals that have raised concerns, following which we will take whatever next steps are appropriate.’
Call for change: Sharon also said she received horrifying abuse on the show’s social media pages, but when she asked for the comments to be moderated she was advised: ‘We leave the comments as they are for people to discuss’
Sharon’s statement comes after a number of claims regarding racism were made by former Neighbours cast members.
On Monday, actor Sachin Joab – who played Ajay Kapoor from 2011 to 2013 – told the Herald Sun he was horrified to learn his Australian-born character Ajay Kapoor was being written off the show and ‘sent back to India’.
He said: ‘It was a double-hit for me because not only was I confused at finding out that we, as the only remaining actors of colour on the show are being written out, but… our characters were not from India. Our characters were both born and raised in Australia.’
Aboriginal actor Meyne Wyatt, who was a regular on Neighbours from 2014 to 2016, claimed on Instagram he’d experienced discrimination on set.
‘It involved the c-word and I called that s**t out and it didn’t happen around me again,’ Wyatt claimed.
‘I did walk in on this incident in particular, so I have no doubt things were being said behind my back. I have too much experience to believe otherwise.’
‘Our characters were not from India’: On Monday, actor Sachin Joab – who played Ajay Kapoor from 2011 to 2013 – told the Herald Sun he was horrified to learn his Australian-born character Ajay Kapoor was being written off the show and ‘sent back to India’
‘I have no doubt things were being said behind my back’: Aboriginal actor Meyne Wyatt (pictured), who was a regular on Neighbours from 2014 to 2016, also claimed on Instagram he’d experienced discrimination on set
Guest star Shareena Clanton alleged on Instagram last week that there was a toxic workplace environment and ‘culturally unsafe space’ for actors of colour.
Among several complaints, Clanton accused a staff member of making crude remarks and claimed she heard the N-word used on set twice, prompting production company Fremantle to bring in an Indigenous consultancy firm to carry out a review.
Clanton, whose guest appearance on the soap is set to air this week, vowed to never work on Neighbours again after claiming her stint on Ramsay Street was marred by ‘multiple racist traumas’ which have required ongoing counselling.
‘I’m struggling to post anything positive about the months I endured on Neighbours after multiple racist traumas and navigating ongoing counselling from this highly problematic show,’ she wrote.
‘It’s been lonely, triggering and traumatising to work in such a culturally unsafe space.’
Speaking out: Guest star Shareena Clanton alleged on Instagram last week that there was a toxic workplace environment and ‘culturally unsafe space’ for actors of colour
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