The Ellen DeGeneres Show Under Investigation After Allegations of Workplace Mistreatment

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the past decade, it’s that celebrities aren’t as innocent as they seem.

In the #metoo movement, several beloved actors and directors in Hollywood were accused of sexual misconduct, including those you’d never suspect in a million years.

And since then, more netizens have come forward with stories of bigotry and bullying in an attempt to expose the true persona of some celebrities as they bask in the adoration of millions and earn astronomical sums.

Unfortunately, it seems like this unacceptable behaviour is more prevalent than we initially thought.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Under Investigation After Allegations of Workplace Mistreatment

Ellen DeGeneres is not exactly a celebrity who courts controversy.

The 62-year-old is famous for her long-running talk-show The Ellen DeGeneres Show where she interviews guests, gives away free goods, and dances a lot.

And I mean a lot. 

But her dancing isn’t the reason everyone’s talking about her at the moment.

According to NPR, Ellen’s talk-show is under internal investigation by WarnerMedia following a series of allegations of racism, workplace intimidation, and other mistreatment made by employees.

There have been numerous complaints of a toxic workplace environment behind the scenes of the show, reported NPR.

According to BuzzFeed News,  11 unnamed current and former employees have made serious allegations of workplace mistreatment.

These complaints include:

• firings after taking medical or bereavement leave
• racist comments against a black employee
• staff members being told not to speak directly to DeGeneres

One staff member who took medical leave to check into a mental health facility for a suicide attempt was told the position was eliminated when he/she returned.

“You’d think that if someone just tried to kill themselves, you don’t want to add any more stress to their lives,” the employee told BuzzFeed News.

When you look at Ellen’s smiley face, it’s hard to believe some of the allegations coming out of her workplace, but one of her former bodyguards said he saw another side to the comedian at the 2014 Oscars, calling her treatment of others “demeaning.”

Some may question if Ellen is to blame, considering it was the senior staff who allegedly mistreated the employees, but one former worker said Ellen has to take responsibility because it’s her show.

“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. “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.”

The Show’s Response

Ellen hasn’t personally responded to the allegations of mistreatment yet, but her show’s executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner said they take the complaints of the employees “very seriously.”

In a statement to BuzzFeed News, 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.

“For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. 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.”

Don’t be surprised if you learn tomorrow that your idol secretly likes to eat puppies. It seems like every celebrity is masking all sorts of unpleasant traits with their innocent smiles.

The world isn’t as pretty as it looks. Just watch this video and you’d understand (and also subscribe to our YouTube channel, please?):