It’s been a good 17 years but it’s looking like Ellen’s time might be up.
(@theellenshow / Instagram)
Ellen DeGeneres, the daytime TV hotshot herself, is in hot water and might not be able to pull herself out.
Several ex-employees of the Ellen DeGeneres Show came forward and exposed the show’s alleged hostile work environment. Now, WarnerMedia’s conducting investigating what’s really going on behind the scenes.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been a staple talk show since it began airing in 2003. Racking up more than 2,700 episodes, it’s been known for its bright humor and positivity. People fell in love with Ellen as she joked, danced with the audience and ended each episode with her token phrase, “Be kind to one another.” But behind the guests and giveaways, the show may not be as kind as it may seem to be.
*Cue the Britney Spears song because things seem to get pretty Toxic once the cameras are turned off.
A Black woman who worked on set said she had to endure microaggressions by higher-ups on set, including by one of the main writers. At a work party, the writer said “I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people that work here.”
On another occasion, a senior-level producer told her and another Black employee “Oh wow, you both have box braids; I hope we don’t get you confused.” Yikes.
In addition to that, employees were reportedly fired for taking bereavement days and medical leave. One employee’s position was eliminated after a month’s leave of absence following a mental health crisis.
And it doesn’t end there.
Dozens of former employees have come forward about sexual misconduct, harassment, and assault from executive producers on the show, particularly head writer and executive producer Kevin Leman.
We’ll save you from the grisly details, but Leman is accused of making sexually explicit comments and being unable to keep his hands to himself.
When it comes to the smiling and dancing face of the show, Miss Ellen DeGeneres isn’t safe from this dumpster fire, either. Apparently, she has a nasty reputation, as well.
Her former bodyguard said Ellen would give him the cold shoulder. "It was very cold and it was very sly,” he said. “It was actually kind of demeaning in the way that she treats people other than those who are in her circle."
He’s not the only one who couldn’t warm up to Ellen’s harshness.
YouTuber NikkieTutorials shaded Ellen’s demeanor in an interview on the Netherlands’ talkshow De Wereld Draait Door.
In the interview, Nikkie agreed that Ellen was “cold and distant” on her talk show.
Honestly, we should have seen this coming when Dakota Johnson completely read Ellen to FILTH on her own show. In November 2019, the Fifty Shades of Grey actress did not let Ellen get away with accusing her of not inviting her to her birthday party.
Turns out, Dakota did invite Ellen and Ellen just flaked on the actress, SMH.
So what does Ellen have to say about all this?
Well, in an email reviewed by the New York Times, she issued an apology in response to the initial uproar over the show’s toxic work culture.
“On day one of our show,” she wrote, “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. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry.”
As for the future of The Ellen DeGeneres show?
No one really knows.
Rumors are circulating around the web claiming that Ellen wants out of the show and she may be replaced with James Corden, but it’s still uncertain.
The show has had a good run, but it’s possible that it’ll never recover from these devastating blows to its reputation.
So for now, we just have to wait and see.
Christelle Pierre is an Online Writer at Rowdy Magazine. When not writing, one can find Christelle holding a YA novel in one hand and an iced coffee in the other. She can be reached on Instagram @x.hristelle.