An internal investigation has been launched by WarnerMedia, the parent company of Warner Bros. Television, into “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” following numerous allegations of workplace misconduct. According to NBC News, the investigation is “not about her at all.”
A report published by Variety says that a memo was issued to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” staffers noting a WarnerMedia employee relations group, in addition to a third-party firm, would interview former and current staffers about their experiences working with the program.
The investigation comes on the heels of a Variety article published in April in which it was reported the core stage crew had heard almost nothing from higher-ups during the initial coronavirus shutdown — except telling them to expect major pay cuts. Concerns were exacerbated when a non-union, outside team was brought in to film remotely from DeGenere’s house as reported by BuzzFeed. However, before the Variety article went live, the show’s crew was restored to full pay.
The BuzzFeed article also detailed the accounts of 10 former and one current employee, who alleged a workplace culture of fear, racism, and intimidation. Some sources even noted that they had been fired for taking medical leave and family bereavement leave, among other ethically questionable reasons.
“We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience,” read a joint statement released by the show’s executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner. “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.”
