Shareena Clanton, who recently joined the cast of Neighbours as Sheila Canning, has claimed that she experienced several racist incidents while she was on the show.
The Aussie actor took to Instagram to share a picture of herself while standing in front of a “Ramsay Street” sign.
She also wrote a lengthy post about her experience working on the show, which she claims has been incredibly problematic.
In her post, Shareena Clanton stated that working in a culturally unsafe environment has been incredibly challenging.
She also claimed that she experienced several racist incidents while she was on the show. She stated that she was forced to leave out her names in order to avoid a potential defamation lawsuit.
She additionally claimed that she was told that she was making others uncomfortable by calling out a colleague who used a racial slur. She additionally stated that she “misconstrued” what was being said.
Clanton went on to say that this allegation is untrue, and she also claimed that some of the crew members would use terms such as “lil’ monkey” or “slave driver” in an attempt to pass it off as workplace banter.
She claimed that she was further marginalized and ostracized when she raised concerns about the behavior of others.
In another instance, a staff member reportedly used the word “cum slut” while talking to a cast member off-camera.
She was then told that the show was not a film production and that the budget was not enough to pay the actors.
According to Shareena, she and her co-worker were forced to ask an elder from the Wurundjeri community to come in and help with the weekly payment schedule.
The humble few hundred dollars that she and her co-worker offered was significantly less than the enormous salaries that the actors were receiving.
In response to the lack of budget, I used some of my own money to pay Aunty.
A spokesperson for the producers of “Neighbours” stated that the show is dedicated to being a platform that promotes inclusion and diversity.
They also noted that the process is evolving and that they will continue to do so. Shareena’s involvement on the show has been incredibly valuable.
Throughout Shareena’s time on the show, the producers have been incredibly supportive. They also noted that they will continue to work with the cast and crew to make the show a more inclusive environment.