The motto of the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" is "be kind". But behind the scenes, it is supposed to be anything but friendly.
With her US talk show of the same name, Ellen DeGeneres (62) stands for one thing above all: friendliness. In each episode she calls her audience in the studio and her TV viewers: "be kind", so be nice. This is very well received – "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" is very popular. But is this motto just a farce behind the scenes? A current employee and ten former employees raised corresponding allegations in conversation with "BuzzFeed News". The tenor: the working atmosphere is toxic.
"It is not the mission that Ellen gives us"
The former members of the "Ellen Show" say that they were exposed to racism, fear and intimidation behind the scenes. Some were even fired after being on sick leave or taking a day off for a funeral. A black woman claims that she was faced with racist comments, actions and "micro-aggression" during her employment.
However, the allegations do not directly concern Ellen DeGeneres, but the production team behind the scenes. The exporting producers would be responsible for the toxic working conditions. However, the moderator would not inform herself accordingly.
The three executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner stated in a statement "BuzzFeed News" that they would take the whole thing "very seriously". They are heartbroken if even one person has had a negative experience. "It is not who we are and not who we want to be and not the mission that Ellen gives us." They promise improvement.
Internal investigation should provide clarification
The allegations apparently weigh so heavily that an internal investigation is now to examine the working atmosphere at the talk show. The US industry paper "Variety" reports. Accordingly, current and former employees are to be asked by an external company about their experience on the set.
It is not the first fuss about the "Ellen Show" this year. Long-time crew members had already complained in April that they had received no information about the status quo of the show, their wages or anything else. Ellen DeGeneres filmed the episodes from her private villa during the corona pandemic. It is said to have commissioned an external company to do this. The moderator has so far not made any public statements on all of the allegations.
The "Ellen DeGeneres Show" has been running since 2003. There are over 3,000 episodes from 16 seasons.