KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 ― Television host Ellen DeGeneres is reputed for her motto “be kind”, her charitable acts and extravagant giveaways on her long-running daytime talk show.
But it appears the reality may be otherwise behind the scenes.
One current and 10 former employees of the award-winning NBC show have recently come forward and claimed that they were subject to a “toxic work environment” on set.
The individuals ― who spoke to BuzzFeed News on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution ― alleged that they faced racism, fear and intimidation while working at the show.
One of the employees even claimed that the cheery and caring vibes on the programme, are just for show.
“That ‘be kind’ bull**** only happens when the cameras are on. It’s all for show,” a former employee said.
“I know they give money to people and help them out, but it’s for show.”
The individuals also claimed they were fired after taking medical leave or bereavement days and faced microaggressions during their tenure.
Although most of the former employees blamed the executive producers and other senior managers for the day-to-day toxicity, one ex-staff said that, ultimately, it’s Ellen’s name on the show and she should take responsibility for the workplace environment.
“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 said.
A female employee from the coloured community also claimed that she experienced racist comments, actions and microaggressions during her year-and-half working at the show.
Sharing her experience, she said when she was hired, a senior-level producer told her and another employee from the coloured community: “Oh wow, you both have box braids; I hope we don’t get you confused.”
She added that at a work party, one of the main writers told her, “I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here,” and other co-workers awkwardly laughed it off instead of coming to her defence.
Another former employee alleged that after taking a month medical leave following a suicide attempt, they returned to work only to be told their position was being eliminated.
In a separate incident, one employee said they were fired after going on a three-week medical leave for injuries suffered in a car accident, working remotely for two days to attend a family funeral and taking three days off to travel for another family funeral.
A third former employee also alleged they were given a warning for creating a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for medical costs that weren’t covered by their company medical insurance and then sharing it on social media.
Just 24 hours after posting the fundraising campaign on social media, they said, they were called into the department head’s office and told to take it down due to concerns it might hurt DeGeneres’ image.
“They were more concerned about Ellen’s brand instead of helping me out,” said the former employee.
In a joint statement to BuzzFeed News, executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner announced that they take the stories of the individuals 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,” they said.
“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.”
The producers also acknowledged that the day to day responsibility of the show is fully on their shoulders and pledged to do better.
