Neighbours actors Meyne Wyatt and Shareena Clanton allege racist incidents on set

A Neighbours star says she has “evidence” of appalling racism on the set of the show after a second actor spoke up about his shocking experience.

Neighbours star Shareena Clanton has slammed the show’s production company for its “non response” to claims of racism on set, revealing she has “evidence and documentation” to support the shocking incidents detailed yesterday.

Taking to the social media platform again today, the actress said she has “clear documentation” of complaints she made to the show’s HR department, including other actors using the “N-word” and a senior staff member calling himself a “slave-driver” in reference to their working relationship.

Condemning Fremantle Media’s response to news.com.au, in which it said there had been “significant and lengthy discussions” with Clanton during her time on the show, she said the company “held no accountability/action/remorse/reform,” for what she was subjected to.

It comes after a second Neighbours star revealed shocking racist incidents they experienced on the set of the iconic Channel 10 show.

Meyne Wyatt, who played Nate Kinski from 2014 to 2016, tweeted last night that the industry “needs to do better”.

Speaking of one particular incident during his time on the show, he wrote: “It involved the C word and I called it out and it didn’t happen around me again,” he said, but he added that he walked in on it, “so I have no doubt things were being said behind my back”.

His post came after Clanton, who guest stars in upcoming episodes, said she endured “multiple racist traumas” on Neighbours, claiming that little was done about it when she spoke up.

Shareena Clanton says she has ‘evidence and documentation’

Clanton’s initial post prompted a statement from Fremantle production to news.com.au, which she has since slammed as a “non-response” in a follow-up on Instagram this morning.

Sharing screenshots of alarming responses to her story — including followers calling her a “whiner”, “pest” and “way too precious” — Clanton wrote: “Calling out racism exposes MORE racism and racist trauma in Australia.

“I did not “make up”/“allege” anything. These events happened. I have evidence and documentation that confirm the truth of these racist comments and ongoing disrespectful/inappropriate behaviours/crass comments on @neighbours.

“I have no qualms critiquing such power structures. What do I have to gain here by speaking truth to one of the most powerful and multi-million dollar global production houses like Fremantle Media? I’m the one at risk of being blacklisted,” she pointed out.

Clanton went on to say there are “many horror stories” from First Nations people in the industry, urging followers to “believe them”.

“White people telling me that I have no right to “whine” about the use of “slave-driver” and that I am “lying” about my traumatic racist experiences have never lived in a world of anti-blackness or exist in a world where such words are used as ammunition against you to demean, diminish, dehumanise, denigrate or dismiss you,” she said.

“I stand by my truth and what I said I bore witness to and directly endured. @meyneg and I do not lie,” she concluded, tagging Wyatt.

Meyne Wyatt supports Clanton’s claims of racism on the Neighbours set

On Tuesday night, Wyatt said it was “disappointing but not at all surprising to hear that five years later racism continues to be present in that workplace”, adding: “But what can you say, we are in Australia.”

I was a series regular on Neighbours between 2014 to 2016 and I experienced Racism on set. It involved the C word and I called it out and it didn’t happen around me again. Though I did walk in on this incident? so I have no doubt things were being said behind my back.

— Meyne Wyatt (@meynewyatt) April 6, 2021

He noted that he was the first Indigenous series regular after 30 years of Australia’s best-known TV show, and said such attitudes were “prevalent throughout the industry”.

“I don’t see a lot of Indigenous actors on the show or on any prime time Television series, whether it be Neighbours, Home and Away, anything on Channel 7, 9 or Ten for that matter,” he added. “Stan and Netflix take note!”

He issued a call to actors, cast, crews, production companies and networks. “Do better, be better. You can always do better. The work is not finished. Even when you think you have, just know you haven’t.”

He said homophobia was also “rampant” when he starred in Neighbours. “The comments and jokes and innuendos were ridiculous!” he wrote. “It made for a very unsafe environment for anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community and the s*** needs to be stamped out. Racism and Homophobia needs an active and present force behind it to be driven out! Neighbours do better! The Film and TV Industry do better! Australia do better!”

Clanton details shocking racism from colleagues

Earlier on Tuesday, Clanton shared a lengthy post on Instagram revealing she has sought counselling following her time on the “highly problematic” show.

The Wongatha, Yamatji and Noongar, Gitja woman — who did not list any names in her post — said she approached the HR department following several incidents involving fellow cast members, but little action was taken.

She explains she was instead “ostracised and further marginalised” for calling out her colleagues.

“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. It’s been lonely, triggering and traumatising to work in such a culturally unsafe space,” she began.

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Shareena Clanton has detailed the ‘traumatising’ racism she endured on the set of Neighbours. Picture: Instagram

The Wentworth star went on to list in dot-point form seven incidents that occurred during filming.

“(Someone) thought it funny and appropriate to openly laugh at the word ‘cum sl*t’ by a cast member who loudly spoke about ‘cum’, ‘cum’, ‘cum’ in front of other cast and crew,” she wrote.

She also shared than upon requesting a Wurundjeri Elder to be present on set to ensure “ongoing cultural safety”, she was told Channel 10’s budget would not cover it, so paid out of her own pocket.

“Due to my insistence of engaging a Wurundjeri Elder to be included for ongoing cultural safety reasons like cultural protocols followed and debriefing, I was told ‘this is not a film production, Shareena’. and that ‘we simply don’t have the budget’. The humble few hundred dollars a week Aunty and I proposed was in contrast to the thousands of dollars actors were receiving each pay. I paid Aunty directly out of my own income to make up for this ‘lack of budget’,” she wrote.

Shareena Clanton at the The Cry special screening held at Palace Cinemas in Chippendale. Picture: Christian Gilles

Clanton continued:

“-A senior staff member openly laughed whilst using the term ‘slave driver’ in reference to him ‘working hard’. My management at the time didn’t help as they endorsed/encouraged this ‘office banter’. I fired the agent.

-Overt and covert levels of racism were rife, often disguised as ‘jokes’ like a white actress openly calling another actress of colour a ‘lil’ monkey’.

-Twice I endured the ‘N’-word openly being used on-set and in the green room. I was even told to ‘go somewhere else’ by staff when confronting the actor directly because I was making others ‘uncomfortable’.

-A white actress openly laughed at the racist ‘N’-word to only lie about laughing about it when questioned by HR. She said that I ‘misconstrued’ what she was ‘laughing at’ and that she was laughing at ‘something else’. That is a blatant lie.

-The retaliation for calling out this misconduct and racism often left me ostracised and further marginalised. In what was meant to have HR follow up and discuss this led to them saying they were unsure of ‘what else they could do’.”

She concluded her post by adding: “I’ll never work for this show again.”

The statement has garnered more than 1400 likes as of Tuesday morning, with a number of followers thanking Clanton for her courage.

Clanton will portray a character named Sheila in upcoming episodes of Neighbours, according to Digital Spy.

Fremantle production responds

Responding to her allegations, a spokesperson from production company Fremantle told news.com.au: “Neighbours strives to be a platform for diversity and inclusion on-screen and off-screen. Our quest is always to continue to grow and develop in this area and we acknowledge that this is an evolving process.

“Shareena’s involvement in the creative process and on set was invaluable and hugely educational and will benefit the series moving forward. There have been significant and lengthy discussions with Shareena during her time on Neighbours and we will continue to work with all cast and crew to ensure Neighbours continues to be a fully inclusive environment.”

The network’s former Drama Executive, Dan Bennett, also told TV Blackbox: “I know and respect the people at #Neighbours (not all, obviously, but many). I’m finding this story hard to reconcile. But I am BEYOND convinced it will be investigated to the fullest, and that every and all appropriate actions taken.”

Clanton will appear as a guest star on Neighbours. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

Past racism on Ramsay street

Clanton’s allegations are not the first instances of racism linked to the long-running series.

In February, actress Sharon Johal, who has played Dipi Rebecchi for four years, wrote a piece for Stellar Magazine in which she claimed fans of the television program would yell racist insults to her on the street.

In it, she praised the program for its diversity but added that she “couldn’t escape” racism even on Ramsay Street.

“When I arrived on Neighbours, albeit feeling like an impostor, I was pleasantly surprised. There was a young female producer in charge and an Asian actor on set who formed one half of a gay couple. Diversity at last!,” she wrote.

“Despite these positive developments, I came to understand that I couldn’t escape racism, not even on Australia’s most famous street.

I’m incessantly trolled on social media and sometimes even in public, with people saying things like “go back to your country” and “you and your filthy children need to leave Ramsay Street”,” she wrote.