Friends actor, Sherri Shepherd, has alleged that she wasn't invited back to the show after making a joke about the hit sitcom's lack of diversity. The comedian played museum tour guide, Rhonda, who memorably stated "these aren't real" during a scene in the museum with Ross (David Schwimmer) and Joey (Matt Le Blanc). <img class=" wp-image-12601242" src="https://img.vt.co/2020/06/1753eefe-pa-12584213-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="530" height="918" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA]] Per <a href="https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a32966469/friends-sherri-shepherd-rhonda-diversity-not-invited-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Digital Spy</a>, 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 said that Shepherd 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," she continued. Shepherd took to Twitter regarding the claims, writing, "Told @JawnMurray he could share my #Friends story on @ABCNewsLive & now it's getting picked up everywhere!" [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/SherriEShepherd/status/1275600158542172165]] This comes after Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman admitted that she "didn’t do enough" to promote diversity throughout the show's 10-year run. Speaking at the virtual 2020 ATX Festival, Kauffman - who co-created the show with David Crane - teared up as she expressed her regret as the lack of diversity seen on the sitcom. The 63-year-old writer and producer was asked what she "wished she knew" when she started out in television, and became emotional as she responded: "I wish I knew then what I know today." Kauffman continued: <blockquote>"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 show running, but I wish I knew all the way up through last year."</blockquote> <img class=" wp-image-12599176" src="https://img.vt.co/2020/06/7a1028af-pa-41821358.jpg" alt="" width="408" height="574" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]] Back in January, Friends star David Schwimmer told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/jan/27/david-schwimmer-im-very-aware-of-my-privilege-as-a-heterosexual-white-male">The Guardian</a> that he spent years campaigning for greater representation on the show. [[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/oc80widZ-dkXnENEs.mp4||oc80widZ]] Schwimmer said: "I was well aware of the lack of diversity and I campaigned for years to have Ross date women of color. "One of the first girlfriends I had on the show was an Asian American woman, and later I dated African American women. That was a very conscious push on my part."

'Friends' star says she wasn't invited back after bringing up lack of diversity

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