Accusations Of Sexual Misconduct And Harassment Roil ‘Ellen’ : NPR

After the series completed in 2022, Stephen “tWitch” Boss passed unexpectantly on December 13, 2022. DeGeneres addressed the claims in a letter to staff, writing, “As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.” Her show has also fired three producers as part of an ongoing investigation. “Everyone was encouraged, in multiple ways, to speak up on anything they feel,” a source told E!

On Twitter, comedian Kevin Porter called Ellen “notoriously one of the meanest people alive” while engaging in some wordplay about how “we all need a little kindness.” He encouraged people to share “insane stories you’ve heard about Ellen being mean” in exchange for his donations to the LA Food Bank. Porter has received thousands of responses to his tweet, and at $2 per pop, that adds up to a huge donation. In a trailer for her Netflix stand-up special, Relatable, Ellen complained about how she’s unable to do anything that’s considered even mildly rude, like honk her car horn, due to her ultra-nice reputation as the reigning queen of daytime talk TV. This assertion does seem somewhat relatable, given that people apparently expect her to dance with them on the street during fan encounters. If it wasn’t obvious already, Ellen is starting to feel the heat of all the allegations against her and her workplace. Us Weekly reports that Ellen feels super betrayed by the people on her staff coming forward about their experiences and just might be hatching some sort of escape plan to leave it all behind.

July 16, 2020

Among the evidence uncovered in WarnerMedia’s investigation were incidents of racial insensitivity. DeGeneres admitted she can be an introvert at times and acknowledged that her withdrawn behavior could be misconstrued as unfriendly because of it. “I try to be the best person I can be and try to learn from my mistakes,” DeGeneres reportedly said during the meeting.

• Crew members told the entertainment outlet that they had not worked in nearly a month after production was suspended due to the pandemic.
• Following the news, DeGeneres sent a lengthy memo to staff, in which she said she is “glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention” and that they are “taking steps … to correct” them.
• Hours later, BuzzFeed News published a second report, this time centered on allegations of rampant sexual misconduct among three male executive producers —Glavin, Norman, and Leman.
• Her experience on set didn’t live up to her expectations, though, she said.
• “It’s been way too long, but we’re finally having conversations about fairness and justice.”
• I care about design and furniture … So, definitely people have been saying, “Why don’t we just try to go a little longer?

During the call, EW learned, DeGeneres spoke about being introverted and having good days and bad days, which caused her to keep to herself at times. Staffers were also informed that they would be receiving new perks, including paid time off and a generous medical leave policy, a source told EW. The staffing changes follow an investigation https://turbo-tax.org/ by WarnerMedia which was sparked following a Buzzfeed report in which several former and anonymous employees made claims against top execs of misconduct and other forms of abusive behavior. And you have to understand, in that time, someone got into our house and robbed us and I lost four animals — three cats and a dog died.

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Current and former staffers will be interviewed about their experiences on set. The memo cited recent articles as the reason for the workplace investigation. In the letter, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, DeGeneres takes responsibility for the overall issues on her set. She does not directly address any allegations of her personal actions but says she was “disappointed to learn” that people working for her did not feel happy or respected on set. The talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres has long been considered a beloved celebrity for her friendly and funny public demeanor.

“I have been getting calls asking me about the Ellen DeGeneres Show and I would like to address the time I spent there.” Several celebrities — including DeGeneres’ wife Portia De Rossi, Katy Perry, Ashton Kutcher, Diane Keaton, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, Jay Leno, Kevin Hart and more — have spoken out to support DeGeneres. Although the post did not explicitly reference the https://turbo-tax.org/a-timeline-of-the-allegations-against-ellen/ allegations surrounding the show, a fan responded to the message, sharing that they hoped “if the Ellen show goes off the air… you are able to find employment quickly.” Following the news, DeGeneres sent a lengthy memo to staff, in which she said she is “glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention” and that they are “taking steps … to correct” them.

Ellen DeGeneres: I’m ending show because it’s ‘not a challenge anymore’

She also framed the decision around the show no longer being a creative challenge. In an emotional video conference, DeGeneres told staff she “wasn’t perfect,” a source who was on the call told PEOPLE. The 52-year old explained that while he was “grateful for the opportunity” to be on the show, he does not condone the “toxicity of the environment” and hopes the show will make a change.

Cracks in DeGeneres’ public persona began to appear in spring 2020, during the early days of the coronavirus epidemic. For a detailed breakdown, here is a timeline of the allegations against DeGeneres and her producers, their responses, the fallout, and more. I remember years and years ago, my girlfriend at the time and I were taking our dog to be put down. We’re crying as we bring our dog in and this woman was so excited to see me and she wants me to say something funny and I’m like, my dog is dying.

If anyone is thinking of changing their title or giving yourself a nickname, do not go with the Be Kind Lady.” She added that she was indeed the cheerful person she appeared to be on television, but was also someone who experienced moments of sadness, anxiety and impatience. “The reason the incident with the producers was such a difficult and perilous moment is it’s the first time where something surfaced to indicate that a family — Ellen’s own professional family — was dysfunctional,” he continued. Some observers believe the accusations may have weakened Ms. DeGeneres’s relationship with her audience. The host built her show as an oasis from the outside world, a place of goofy dancing, light jokes, cash giveaways to surprised audience members and high-wattage celebrity guests. Several years ago, she adopted “be kind” as her motto, in response to the suicide of Tyler Clementi, a gay college student who took his own life after being bullied. Even through the dark murder-hornet cloud of giant, history-making, and stupefyingly dumb news that overwhelms the senses each day, the knowledge that a Thing Is Happening with Ellen has filtered into the collective consciousness.

“Sit still for a bit” does not sound like the advice of a Hollywood agent. Here, the woman whose 1997 “Yep, I’m Gay” Time cover story nearly torpedoed her career, speaks with THR about the decision to wrap up a show that’s earned her 64 Daytime Emmys, the allegations that nearly sent her packing and the parts that she’ll miss most — and least — about her daily platform. Timing her departure is something DeGeneres has openly wrestled with in the past. In a 2018 New York Times profile, she revealed that her actress wife, Portia de Rossi, had been encouraging her to move on from the 180-shows-a-year gig, while her comedian brother, along with executives at Warner Bros., had urged her to continue. In the end, DeGeneres signed on for three more seasons but was clear with herself and her team that this contract — which would take her well beyond 3,000 shows, and a stunning 2,400 celebrity interviews — would be her last.

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“I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she’s one of the dopest people on the f—ing planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1.” From a Black employee describing racist microaggressions that resulted in her walking off the job to others claiming they were fired after taking medical leave or bereavement days to attend family funerals, they paint a picture of a behind-the-scenes culture that clashes with the “be kind” mantra touted by DeGeneres. With rumors and complaints about DeGeneres already swirling online, BuzzFeed News published two reports in July that indicated the host and her show’s top producers had a lot of work to do.

A handful of celebrity supporters have rallied on her side as others call for her replacement. BuzzFeed published a scathing report about The Ellen DeGeneres Show on July 16, detailing a work culture allegedly rife with racism, fear-mongering and intimidation. Sourced from the accounts of one current and 10 former Ellen employees, the story noted that most of the staffers interviewed hold executives and senior managers responsible for the alleged toxicity; one source, though, pointed out that the show bears DeGeneres’ name. BuzzFeed spoke to anonymous current and former Ellen staffers who alleged that senior producers fostered a toxic workplace full of racism, intimidation, and fear, going back years. While DeGeneres wasn’t specifically called out for her behavior, one former employee held the host responsible if she wants to “have her name on the show.”