Last week, we reported that various former employees of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” had come forward to talk to Buzzfeed [1] about the “toxic work environment” they claim the program has. Now, it’s being reported that current staffers on the show are “loving” that the truth about Ellen DeGeneres has come out.
“They’ve been calling and texting each other about the story,” a source told UsWeekly. [2] “They’re loving that the truth – which has been an open secret for years in the industry – is finally receiving more interest.”
The eleven former employees reportedly spoke to Buzzfeed under the condition of anonymity because DeGeneres forces all of her employees sign nondisclosure agreements when they are hired.
“You can’t say anything, even nice things, even if you get fired, even years after you’ve left,” the insider explained.
This comes after the former staffers claimed that the workplace environment on the set of the show is full of “racism, fear and intimidation.” One former staffer claimed that she was told by a show writer that they “only know the names of the white people who work here.”
Another ex-employee alleged that they were told to take down a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for medical costs not covered by the show’s health insurance because it reflected poorly on “Ellen’s brand.”
The show’s executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner responded to the Buzzfeed story with the following statement:
“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.”
It remains to be seen how this will effect DeGeneres’ brand in the long run.
This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com [3] and is used by permission.
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‘Dancing With The Stars’ Fires Tom Bergeron – Reveals His Replacement [6]