Ellen DeGeneres to address misconduct allegations in new talk show season
Ellen DeGeneres has promised to address the allegations against her in just a few days, but will it be enough to mend her reputation?
Come Monday in the US, all eyes will be on embattled TV star Ellen DeGeneres as she addresses the mounting allegations against her on the premiere of her show’s new season.
DeGeneres, who has experienced a spectacular fall from grace this year, has promised she is ready to publicly address multiple allegations of workplace misconduct on her eponymous talk show, which she reportedly knew about years ago.
But the real question is, will it work?
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The star – once bubbly and bouncy on each episode of The Ellen DeGeneres show – became 2020’s biggest villain after several former staff members, celebrities, security guards and guests of the show opened up about their negative experiences with her.
As investigations into the show’s alleged toxic environment, including sexual harassment claims against executives, continue, DeGeneres is charging on with her new season.
Earlier this month, the 62-year-old announced that her talk show will return to US screens on September 21 and she vowed to address the nasty allegations that have been levelled at her in recent months.
“I can’t wait to get back to work and back to our studio,” DeGeneres said. “And, yes, we’re gonna talk about it.”
A hoard of the star’s celebrity supporters will join her on the couch as she attempts to win back her audience, including Tiffany Haddish, Kerry Washington, Alec Baldwin, and Chrissy Teigen in the first week.
Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, Adam Sandler and Orlando Bloom are also billed to sit down with the television personality in the coming weeks.
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DeGeneres shot part of the last season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show from home.
While she did her best to carry on amid the fierce backlash, the lockdown episodes were met with criticism.
Responding to clips posted on her Twitter page, fans commented that DeGeneres looked “drained” and “stressed”.
Others commented on the quality of her recording.
“There is something wrong here. Why is Ellen so so blurry? Can’t she afford a decent camera? Or is that just a cut and paste job?,” they said.
And when it came to the content, they were equally as damning.
One labelled a segment “painful”, and another put plainly: “I got real life issues and in a crisis RN and I’m not interested in this.”
It all comes after a tumultuous few months for the star, starting way back in December last year.
INTERVIEW TENSION
When American actress Dakota Johnson, of Fifty Shades Of Grey fame, sat down with DeGeneres for a chat in December 2019, things were frosty to say the least.
“Happy belated birthday,” DeGeneres said. “How was the party? I wasn’t invited.”
As the audience laughed, Johnson replied sternly, “Actually, no, that’s not the truth, Ellen. You were invited,” awkwardness ensued, as did an internet field day, and it quickly emerged as to why DeGeneres missed the party.
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The 62-year-old was actually in Texas where she controversially sat next to former US president George W. Bush at an NFL game.
The NFL game was a PR nightmare for DeGeneres, who was slammed for sitting next to Mr Bush, with many attacking the talk show host – a prominent gay, liberal and outspoken LGBT activist – for cosying up with the former Republican president who once endorsed a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage.
DeGeneres later addressed the pair’s unlikely friendship and the criticism surrounding it on her talk show.
“People were upset. They thought, ‘Why is a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president?’” she said.
“I’m friends with George Bush. In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have. We’re all different, and I think that we’ve forgotten that that’s OK that we’re all different.
“Just because I don’t agree with someone on everything doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be friends with them. When I say be kind to one another, I don’t only mean the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone.”
The apology did little to quell the shift in perception of the star.
VIRAL TWITTER THREAD
A few short months later, in March this year, writer and comedian Kevin T. Porter tweeted: “Right now we all need a little kindness. You know, like Ellen DeGeneres always talks about!
“She’s also notoriously one of the meanest people alive. Respond to this with the most insane stories you’ve heard about Ellen being mean & I’ll match every one w/ $2 to @LAFoodBank.”
There were more than 1000 replies to Porter’s tweet, with people detailing their not-so-nice experiences with DeGeneres.
TV writer Benjamin Siemon replied to Porter’s tweet with: “She has a ‘sensitive nose’ so everyone must chew gum from a bowl outside her office before talking to her and if she thinks you smell that day you have to go home and shower.”
Author Allison Freer wrote: “Was working on a show @ WB that was next to her stage. Was our showrunner’s 50th Bday. Caterer grilling steaks outside for special fancy lunch. Ellen sent someone over to demand they stop, as she doesn’t eat meat. She’s the worst.”
GUESTS, STAFF AND AN AUSSIE TV BOSS WEIGH IN
In April, transgender beauty blogger NikkieTutorials, real name Nikkie De Jager, slammed the media personality, describing her as “distant and cold” while detailing her disappointing experience as a guest on The Ellen Show.
“Don’t meet your idols,” she warned fans.
Then, a former bodyguard who was assigned to protect DeGeneres during her hosting gig at the 2014 Oscars said he could attest to the recent allegations made by others about her unfriendly and selfish demeanour.
None of this was helped by whispers of crew members from the show being left with few answers about their pay and employment amid the coronavirus shutdown, as the host began doing shows from her home without them.
Then, one by one, former guests of the talk show waded in.
Former Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett, a frequent guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the past, declared that the host’s “horrible” behaviour was “common knowledge.”
Funnyman Garrett – who appeared as a guest on the chat show at least six times between 2004 and 2007 – declared that any problems with the show “come from the top”: “Know more than one who were treated horribly by her. Common knowledge,” he wrote.
The next day, as Garrett’s comments made headlines, another celebrity chimed in: This time, Back To The Future actress Lea Thompson. Responding on Twitter to an article titled ‘Brad Garrett Claims Mistreatment by Ellen DeGeneres Is ‘Common Knowledge’ After Host’s Apology’, Thompson wrote: “True story. It is.”
Soon after, Aussie Neil Breen, who was boss of Channel 9’s Today show in 2013, revealed he too had experienced her unkindness, recalling when DeGeneres came to Australia on a promotional tour and was interviewed by Richard Wilkins.
“The producers called us aside and said, ‘OK, this is how it’s going to work here this morning. Ellen’s going to arrive at 10.15 and she’ll be sitting in this chair here and Richard you’ll be sitting in this chair here. Neil, no one is to talk to Ellen. You don’t talk to her, you don’t approach her, you don’t look at her. She’ll come in, she’ll sit down, she’ll talk to Richard and then Ellen will leave.’”
Breen said he was shocked by the producer’s comments.
“I sort of said, ‘Are you fair dinkum? I can’t look at her?’”
‘TOXIC WORKPLACE’ CLAIMS
In July, allegations relating to The Ellen Show turned from “mean” rumours to serious allegations.
Just hours after an apology letter from DeGeneres to her staff was published, dozens of former Ellen staffers spoke out in a shocking Buzzfeed report, alleging sexual misconduct from several top producers on her show.
Many of the allegations centre upon head writer and executive producer Keith Leman, who has been accused of groping and propositioning male staff members.
Others allege they were inappropriately touched by producer Ed Glavin, who is reportedly parting ways with The Ellen Show.
In total, Buzzfeed spoke to 47 current and former The Ellen Show employees.
“Even though I was being abused (at work) constantly, Ed putting his arm around you in the control room was like the nicest experience you had all day, as messed up as that sounds,” one female former employee said.
INVESTIGATION
WarnerMedia is investigating the allegations against top executives at the show, which include sexual misconduct, harassment and assault. The TV host has since issued another apology.
This week, documents obtained by The Hollywood Reporter aired WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar’s comments on the matter.
The memos addressed “public reports regarding patterns of unacceptable behaviour”, including Buzzfeed News reports on the “toxic” environment at Ellen.
Following allegations, the show ousted three senior producers and increased employee perks.
Meanwhile, several of DeGeneres’ A-list pals have come out in support of the comedian during her fall from grace, while others are siding with the accusers.
SUPPORT FOR ELLEN
Katy Perry, who has appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show many times, took to Twitter in August to defend the star.
“I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen and on the @theellenshow,” Perry, 35, tweeted.
“I think we all have witnessed the light and continual fight for equality that she has brought to the world through her platform for decades. Sending you love and a hug, friend @TheEllenShow.”
Many criticised the Roar singer for speaking out, including one fan who wrote, “You’re rich and well-known Katy. You may have had positive experience, but her staff and co-workers have spoken out on how they are mistreated; you cannot just invalidate their experience and feelings.”
Meanwhile, Kevin Hart took to Instagram to also share a photo of himself with DeGeneres, adding a lengthy caption where he stood by his friend and slammed the “crazy world of negativity” on the internet.
Former late night talk show host Jay Leno also had a kind message for his longtime friend.
Diane Keaton was among those lending support to the embattled talk show host, writing on social media on Tuesday, “I always enjoyed my visits to The Ellen Show. I’ve seen how the audience exudes happiness and gratitude. She gives back to so many including me.”
And her wife Portia de Rossi made it clear she’s standing by DeGeneres.
The Aussie actress shared a simple blue and white banner on Instagram, featuring the words: “I Stand By Ellen.”
De Rossi, 47, captioned the post: “To all our fans … we see you. Thank you for your support.”
But confusingly, she added the hashtag “stop bot attacks”, suggesting she believes fake accounts may be helping drive the backlash against her wife – despite the fact the criticisms have largely come from her own employees and fellow celebrities.
HOUSEHOLD WORKER CLAIMS
Amid mounting claims that DeGeneres created a toxic work environment at her talk show, the host has now been accused of “tormenting” her household staffers.
The Daily Mail reported that a person claiming to have worked at one of DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi’s California homes for several months in the past decade told the website that DeGeneres’ alleged behaviour behind the scenes of her show was nothing compared to her at-home persona.
“My belief is that someone’s real personality comes out at home,” the unnamed ex-staffer reportedly said. “So after everything that has been said about her at work, you can imagine how terrible Ellen is going to be at home when her guard is down.”
The ex-employee reportedly alleged that DeGeneres gave staffers a daily list of performance complaints from the previous day, listing trivial things like her coffee not being frothed to her liking, food being served in the wrong bowl or a worker leaving the salt shaker in the wrong spot.
DeGeneres also allegedly called out a chef for using the guest bathroom and a maid for forgetting to put a piece of rubbish in the recycling bin, according to the Daily Mail’s source.
The former staffer also claimed DeGeneres, 62, would “lay traps” by leaving matches all over the house to make sure her workers dusted and cleaned every square inch of her home, per the report.
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