The Ellen DeGeneres Show is one of the most widely-watched around the world. In latest news, the show has come under the radar with an internal investigation by WarnerMedia being conducted against it. This comes after a string of accusations surfaced against employees of the all-time famous show, on grounds of racism, workplace intimidation and other forms of misconduct. In light of this, WarnerMedia is looking into complaints of toxic workplace behavior behind-the-scenes at the show. Earlier this month, BuzzFeed News published multiple allegations related to workplace harassment made by 11 anonymous employees on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The complaints included laying employees off after they took medical or bereavement leave, a Black employee having racist comments levied at her by senior staff and staffers being told not to speak directly to DeGeneres, reported Variety. The accusers mentioned that it is ironic because Ellen promotes the “be kind” on air. In a joint statement to BuzzFeed News, executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner said that they took the allegations “very seriously,” adding, “We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience.”
#ChallengeAccepted: Post Monochrome Images to Uplift Each Other, Spread the Love
BuzzFeed’s story contained a spectrum of accused racist behavior, “from microaggressions to jokes about mistaking two Black female employees with the same hairstyle, as well as criticism of statements allegedly made to another staffer by executive producer Ed Glavin.” The group said, “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.” They concluded, “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.”
