For years now, Ellen DeGeneres has been widely celebrated for being one of Hollywood’s angels. Concluding every show with the famous catchphrase “be kind to one another,” the host had always been revered for her positivity and outgoing spirit.
However, following recent months of social media buzz surrounding the way staff are treated on set, The Ellen DeGeneres Show is now under investigation.
WarnerMedia are currently investigating The Ellen DeGeneres Show following an explosive exposé published by Buzzfeed.
Ellen DeGeneres is widely known for the kindness she has shown on screen, with lavish giveaways and acts of charity that are some of the biggest in daytime television. However, current and former employees have revealed that they have faced racism, fear, and intimidation during their time on set.
BuzzFeed spoke to one current and ten former employees who all remained anonymous. Among the complaints about a toxic work environment, some stated they were unfairly dismissed for sickness or attending funerals, while another said that racist remarks were an everyday occurrence.
While the American host is obviously central to the show’s workplace and brand, most of the former employees blamed executive producers and other senior managers for the culture. However, one former employee did state that DeGeneres is ultimately responsible:
“If she wants to have her own show and have her name on the show title, she needs to be more involved to see what’s going on. I think the executive producers surround her and tell her, ‘Things are going great, everybody’s happy,’ and she just believes that, but it’s her responsibility to go beyond that.”
Dakota Johnson ending Ellen’s whole career pic.twitter.com/puDbfj1Has
— diego crespo (@thediegocrespo) July 28, 2020
In response to the uproar, executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner said in a joint statement:
“Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1,000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment. We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It’s not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us. For the record, the day-to-day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better.”
DeGeneres has not made any public comments on these recent claims; however, many are expecting her to do so in an upcoming show.
