Former Employees Confirm Ellen DeGeneres Show Has Toxic Work Culture
And we're not just talking about a raise.
Recently, Ellen DeGeneres has been at the center of a lot of controversies. Former employees came forward against her, and she also made a lot of insensitive and elitist remarks that social media didn’t like. But, it looks like things are getting worse for Ellen. Former employees have come forward against her, saying that the Ellen DeGeneres Show has a “toxic work culture”.
Ellen DeGeneres is in trouble, again
One current and ten former employees came forward anonymously and described the toxic work environment on the Ellen DeGeneres show. They maintained their anonymity in fear of retribution from Ellen and the showbiz industry as a whole. And some of the details they mentioned were simply horrifying.
The employees admitted that “racism, fear, and intimidation” filled the toxic work environment. Moreover, the employees claimed to have been fired for just taking medical leaves. They often had to make GoFundMe pages in the first place because of the medical bills that their health insurance from the Ellen DeGeneres show didn’t cover. But, the showrunners often forced them to delete their GoFundMe pages. Adding to that, even talking to Ellen while she was in office was a no go. A former employee said:
That ‘be kind’ bullshit only happens when the cameras are on. It’s all for show… I know they give money to people and help them out, but it’s for show.
And if that wasn’t toxic enough, a former Black employee came forward with racial discrimination as well. She claimed that she experienced “racist comments, actions, and microaggressions”. She further recalled a time while working on the Ellen DeGeneres show, saying that one of the writers claimed that they “only know the names of the white people who work here”. Moreover, once 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.
And when the same employee spoke up against this racism and discrimination, others distanced themselves from them, labeling them “PC Police”.
The producers respond
None of the comedians had anything nice to say about the comedian. However, their complaints were more focused on senior managers and executive producers. Those who were directly responsible for the day-to-day activities on the set. Upon reading this report, Executive producers Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner, and Ed Galvin responded:
Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment. 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. 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.
We all have a kind of ‘this isn’t normal’ feeling about how people get treated there. And there’s this ushering out the door. Or your contract isn’t renewed the minute you ruffle anyone’s feathers. Or you don’t show that you’re extremely grateful and appreciative to work there.
These are very concerning reports for Ellen DeGeneres and her management. They were already knee-deep in controversy, but this report makes matters even worse than before. You can read the complete Buzzfeed report here.
