Ellen DeGeneres employees say they faced ‘racism, fear, and microaggressions’ while working for daytime show
SEVERAL Ellen Degeneres employees have come forward to claim they experienced "racism, fear, and intimidation” while working on the talk show.
The mix of past and present workers also alleged the host’s “be kind” mantra is “bulls**t” and “all for show,” according to .
One current and 10 former employees from the hit daytime series spoke to the outlet about the “” but remained anonymous due to fear of retribution.
Buzzfeed said some staff claimed to have been fired because they took medical leave or bereavement days to attend family funerals.
While others alleged they were instructed by their managers to not speak directly to the 62-year-old comedian if they saw her at the office.
A Black woman, who once worked for told the website that she experienced “racist comments, actions, and microaggressions” during her year and a half as an employee.
She also alleged that a main writer for the show told her at a company party: “I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here.”
As she stood next to a Black colleague, the same woman also claimed she was told by a senior-level producer: “Oh wow, you both have box braids; I hope we don’t get you confused.”
The former employee told the publication she was called “the PC police” for speaking out to producers about using controversial terms such as “spirit animal."
After a meeting where she said she was reprimanded by executive producer Ed Glavin for raising concerns, the woman left the show that day and never returned.
While the people who have come forward told Buzzfeed executive producers and other senior managers are to blame for the “toxicity,” they added "Ellen really needs to take more responsibility” as it is her name on the production.
“If she wants to have her own show and have her name on the show title, she needs to be more involved to see what's going on,” one former employee told Buzzfeed.
They continued: “I think the executive producers surround her and tell her, ‘Things are going great, everybody's happy,’ and she just believes that, but it's her responsibility to go beyond that.”
Executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner released a joint statement to Buzzfeed, claiming they take the stories "very seriously.”
"Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1,000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment," the letter read.
The trio continued: "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.”
They concluded: “For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us.
What are the allegations about Ellen DeGeneres being ‘mean’ and why is she getting so much backlash?
Ellen DeGeneres has recently faced backlash after reports emerged that the host is "mean" and "rude" to her staff and guests.
Several people that have either worked with or visited show are coming forward to denounce her sunny image, claiming that behind the scenes, the comedian is a different person.
Current staff echo those sentiments and are reportedly
“Is she always nice? No,” said a former staffer. “It irritates me that people think she’s all sweetness and light and she gets away with it.”
The host was recently the subject of a viral Twitter thread that centered on the , encouraging people to share any personal stories they had to validate the theory.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellen staff claim that they have been cast aside by their famous boss.
“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.”
An Ellen Show representative did not immediately respond to The Sun’s request for comment.
The latest accusations comes after that the Finding Dory star is “mean.”
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