With culture on her self-titled talk show under fire, Ellen DeGeneres is speaking.
In a letter to his crew, obtained by Hollywood reporterDeGeneres addresses the alleged misconduct in the workplace, which is detailed in a Buzzfeed story published earlier this month. The widely circulated piece includes a series of anonymous accusations of racism, intimidation, unfair dismissal and a general culture of toxic work by former employees, perpetuated by the show’s leading producers. The report sparked an internal investigation by WarnerMedia, the father of Telepictures, which is said to be now largely complete.
In his note, DeGeneres assumes responsibility, insofar as the program bears his name, and insists that steps will be taken to “correct the problems” in the future. “As we have grown exponentially, I have not been able to stay on top of everything and have trusted others to do their jobs, as they knew I wanted them to. Clearly, some did not, ”he writes. “That will now change and I am committed to ensuring that this does not happen again.”
While neither she nor Warner Brothers will comment on the fate of specific employees, two sources say THR That executive producer Ed Glavin, one of the show’s three EPs, and the one at the center of many of the nastiest claims, is one who will be fired. “Once he’s gone, it will be like a new day,” says a source close to the program, one of two who say DeGeneres remained largely protected from the daily handling or mismanagement of Glavin staff. Others are expected to come out as well.
In a statement to Buzzfeed On his report, Glavin, along with EPs Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner, had said: “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 job and inclusive environment. We are truly heartbroken and sorry to hear that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It is not who we are and is not what we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us. ” .
At the top of her letter, DeGeneres, who, according to a source, was discouraged from addressing the allegations while the investigation was ongoing, acknowledges the irony that such charges are brought up in a program she herself had called “a place of happiness”. In light of some of the recent allegations, she also took the opportunity to remind those who read her own past struggles to feel upset, to be kicked out of the industry, and to be subjected to multiple death threats after she declared gay in the late pm. 1990s. “As someone who was judged and almost lost everything because of who I am,” he writes, “I really understand and have deep compassion for those who are viewed differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or, worse yet, ignored.”
The talk show, a commercial success in its 17th The season was renewed in 2019 for three more years, until 2022. That news came after DeGeneres revealed it in an interview with The New York Times, linked to his Netflix special, who had flirted with the idea of leaving him on the show “all the time.” It’s hard to imagine that some of those feelings have not resurfaced in the past few weeks and months, with a source close to her revealing that she has been “crushed” by everything that has happened lately, including an April press round that she suggested, inaccurately. , that she was not paying her crew during the closure.
In a statement to THR, a Warner Bros. spokesperson said: “Warner Bros. and Ellen DeGeneres take the recent allegations about the show’s work culture very seriously. We hoped to determine the validity and scope of the publicly reported complaints and to understand the breadth of the program’s everyday culture. As a result, WarnerMedia interviewed dozens of current and former employees about the environment at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. It was important to both Warner Bros. and Ellen that as many people connected to the show as possible could be heard. The Ellen DeGeneres Show It is, and has always strived to be, a place that brings positivity to the world. And while not all the allegations were substantiated, we are disappointed that the main research findings indicated some shortcomings related to the day-to-day management of the program. We have identified several changes in staff, along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have arisen, and we are taking the first steps to implement them. Warner Bros. and Ellen DeGeneres are committed to ensuring a workplace based on respect and inclusion. We are confident that this course of action will take us on the right path to the show. ”
Below is DeGeneres’ full letter to his staff:
Hello everyone, this is Ellen. On the first day of our show, I told everyone at our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness: no one would raise their voices and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I’m disappointed to know that this has not been the case. And so, I’m sorry. Anyone who knows me knows that it is the opposite of what I think and what I expected for our show.
I could not be as successful as I have been without all of your contributions. My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that. Together with Warner Bros, we immediately begin an internal investigation and are taking steps together to correct the problems. As we have grown exponentially, I have not been able to stay on top of everything and have trusted others to do their job, as they knew I wanted them to. Clearly some did not. That will now change and I am committed to ensuring that this does not happen again.
I am also learning that the people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresent who I am and that has to stop. As someone who was judged and almost lost everything for who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those who are viewed differently, or treated unfairly, not the same or, worse yet, ignored. To think that any of you felt that is horrible to me.
Too much time has passed, but we are finally having conversations about fairness and justice. We all need to be more aware of how our words and actions affect others, and I am glad that the problems in our program have caught my attention. I promise to do my part to continue to pressure myself and everyone around me to learn and grow. It is important to me and Warner Bros. that everyone who has something to say can speak up and feel safe doing so.
I am very proud of the work we do and of the fun and joy that we all help develop in the world. I want everyone at home to love our program and I want everyone who does to love working on it. Again, I am very sorry for anyone who has not had that experience. If it wasn’t for COVID, I would have done it in person, and I can’t wait to go back to our stage and see them all then.
Stay safe and healthy.
Love,
Ellen
