Earlier this week, the Ellen DeGeneres show came under fire for alleged workplace harassment, racism and a toxic environment. After 11 anonymous ex-employees came forward with their personal experiences, an internal investigation was put into place by WarnerMedia. The complaints included laying employees off after they requested for medical or bereavement leave, a black employee falling prey to racist comments staffers being told not to speak directly to DeGeneres. The accusers mentioned that it is ironic because the show host promotes the “be kind” ethos on air. In a latest development, DeGeneres has penned an emotional message to the staff of her talk show.
In the note, she mentioned she was taking steps to improve the culture on set. Warner Bros Television said in a statement however that although “not all of the allegations were corroborated, we are disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management.” DeGeneres wrote, “On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect.”
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/07/29/the-ellen-degeneres-show-under-fire-for-alleged-workplace-harassment-racism/
She added, “Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case.” DeGeneres, whose show has been running for almost two decades, also weighed on the flak that she has received from her former employees, some of whom have personally targeted her. “I’m also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop. I am glad that her production team was finally having conversations about fairness and justice. We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others.”