Friends star Sherri Shepherd has claimed she wasn’t invited back to the show after making a joke about the lack of diversity.
The comedian played museum tour guide Rhonda, who memorably declared “these aren’t real” during a sketch in the museum with Matt Le Blanc and David Schwimmer.
Jawn Murray, a friend of Sherri, said on ABC News: “Sherri was one of the few black faces that was on Friends.
“Her, Aisha Tyler and Gabrielle Union. And Sherri was on Friends at a time that you sent out postcards to let people know, ‘Hey, I’m going to be on TV’.”
Jawn claimed that Sherri sent out a card saying: “Friends get a little colour.”
“Well, [Sherri] also sent that postcard to [Friends co-creator] Marta [Kauffman], and she got the postcard and [Sherri] was never asked back on the show,” Jawn said.
Sherri tweeted about the claims, writing: “Told @JawnMurray he could share my #Friends story on @ABCNewsLive & now it’s getting picked up everywhere!”
Friends creator Marta Kauffman previously apologised about the lack of diversity on the show.
“I wish I knew then what I know today,” she said. “Sorry, I just wish I knew then what I know now. I would’ve made very different decisions.
“I mean we’ve always encouraged people of diversity in our company, but I didn’t do enough and now all I can think about is what can I do?
“What can I do differently? How can I run my show in a new way? And that’s something I not only wish I knew when I started showrunning, but I wish I knew all the way up through last year.”
Source: digitalspy.com