‘Ellen DeGeneres Show’ investigated over allegations of toxic work culture
WarnerMedia is investigating allegations of mistreatment and racist behavior behind the scenes of Ellen's talk show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show is under formal investigation in the wake of multiple allegations of a toxic work culture at the long-running daytime talk show.
DeGeneres herself has been subject to multiple rumors and sources alleging that the “Queen of Nice” is anything but nice behind the scenes, including in April when key members of the show’s crew alleged mistreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A viral Twitter thread in March accused DeGeneres of being “notoriously one of the meanest people alive,” with dozens of replies featuring accusations of abusive and cruel behavior towards staff, including having a production assistant fired for “leading her to set the ‘long’ way.”
Matters worsened when Buzzfeed News published a story earlier this month featuring multiple allegations from employees of the Ellen DeGeneres Show accusing executive producers and senior management of creating a toxic work culture.
A Black female employee said she dealt with “racist comments, actions, and microagressions,” and a former employee said they were fired after creating a GoFundMe for medical costs that the show’s health insurance wouldn’t cover.
Now, WarnerMedia, the parent company of The Ellen DeGeneres Show‘s production company and distributors, has announced that it is conducting an internal investigation into the allegations, Variety reports.
WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third party firm will interview current and former staffers, according to a memo sent to staffers last week.
One of Variety‘s sources said that the memo touted WarnerMedia’s commitment to a supportive work environment.
In the wake of the Buzzfeed News allegations, Ellen Show executive producers Mary Connelly, Ed Glavin, and Andy Lassner issued a statement saying they were “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,” they said.
“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.”
Related:
Ellen DeGeneres says she loves her staff, but they claim mistreatment during COVID-19
Ellen DeGeneres slammed for comparing COVID-19 self-quarantine to “being in jail”
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