Ellen DeGeneres Show axes executive producers amid ‘toxic’ workplace claims

Three high-profile staff have been sacked from The Ellen Show as the host breaks her silence on damning behind-the-scenes allegations.

Three senior producers have been given their marching orders from The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the wake of damning allegations of racial insensitivity, sexual misconduct and a toxic workplace culture.

Variety reports that the news was delivered to Ellen staff during a meeting on Monday afternoon – and that DeGeneres, 62, dialled in via videoconference.

According to the publication, a source claimed the embattled host was “emotional” while speaking to her team, and told them the recent accusations about the show “broke my heart”.

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Ellen DeGeneres’ future on TV has been under a cloud.

Rumours had swirled for some time about the culture behind the scenes on The Ellen Show, but were laid bare for the first time in a recent Buzzfeed report, which collated the claims of misconduct and harassment from a number of current and former employees.

Three senior producers – executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman – were all cited in the July 30 report and subsequently suspended. The trio has now been fired from the show amid a WarnerMedia internal investigation.

According to The Independent, in an email sent to staff last Thursday, the company said that while not all anonymous allegations had been verified, early investigations had already found some to be true.

“We are disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management,” the statement read.

The email also stated that several staffing changes and other measures were being taken, although no further details were provided at the time.

It’s since been confirmed by Variety that Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner and Derek Westervelt will remain at the show as executive producers. All three have been with the show since its 2003 launch.

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DeGeneres’ initial response to the controversy was slammed by show insiders. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Earlier this month, show sources told the Daily Mail that DeGeneres was “ultimately” at fault.

“The truth is she knew what was going on; it’s her show. The buck stops with her. She can blame every executive under the sun – but Ellen is ultimately the one to blame.”

Staff at her show also hit back at the apology letter she sent out last month, branding her a “phony” and claiming anyone who complained to her about the ongoing issues “would’ve been fired”.

“Don’t think for a minute anything she has said in that apology means anything. She created and then enabled this toxic culture to go on for so long,” one staffer said.

“If anyone had come to her or those three (executive producers) to complain, they would’ve been fired.”

“Inside Telepictures we’ve had enough of her. She is a phony who does not practice what she preaches,” another source told Daily Mail.

“The behaviour of her show executives has been appalling, but (Ellen) is no better. In fact, she is the worst. It’s outrageous that she is trying to pretend that this is all a shock to her. The fish rots from the head, and Ellen is the head.”

The insider went on to claim that DeGeneres “hates coming to work”, “struggles to be nice to people” and has “utter contempt for her audience”.

“She has been phoning it in for so long, and only staying for the money and celebrity it affords her,” the source said.

“We’ve dealt with her BS for so many years. She’s not innocent at all, she’s not nice and the show is not filled with happiness.”