Donald Glover claims Tina Fey told him that he was only hired as a author on “30 Rock” because of NBC’s diversity initiative.
The comedian, also known by his rapper moniker Childish Gambino, landed his first breakthrough writing job on the hit sitcom in 2006 when he was 23 years old.
While he brought his own ideas to the table, Glover says the network introduced a diversity incentive on the time that allowed shows to rent black writers without it reflecting the budget.
“It was a diversity thing,” Glover . “There isn’t a animosity between us or anything like that, but [Tina Fey] said it herself.”
“The last two individuals who were fighting for the job were me and Kenya Barris. I didn’t comprehend it was between me and him until later,” he added.
He told the magazine that the “Black-ish” creator said he “hated” Glover “for years.”
Glover wrote for the Emmy Award-winning show for 3 years.
“It definitely didn’t feel like I used to be alleged to be there,” the “That is America” singer said.
“I used to have stress dreams every night where I used to be doing cartwheels on the highest of a Recent York skyscraper with the opposite writers watching me.”
The Post has reached out to Fey’s reps for comment.
The “Redbone” hitmaker previously opened up about his experience of working on the hit sitcom.
In a 2018 Recent Yorker profile, the entertainer said he began to wonder if he was “being hired simply because I’m black.”
In keeping with the outlet, Fey confirmed that “the reply was largely yes; she admired Glover’s talent but hired him because funds from NBC’s Diversity Initiative ‘made him free.’”
“30 Rock” ran from Oct. 11, 2006, until its final episode on Jan. 31, 2013.
The hit NBC show centered around Fey’s character Liz Lemon, who’s the pinnacle author for a well-liked TV show, likened to Saturday Night Live.
