Ellen DeGeneres faces 'apocalyptic ending to her TV career' if show probe results are negative, says PR expert
The internal investigation into the racism and toxic work environment allegations against 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' could have "deadly consequences for Ellen" and her brand, as per a celebrity PR expert.
Eric Schiffer, chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, told Fox News the extent of negative consequences for the comedian could be as huge as the end of her career if the internal probe into her show ends up yielding unpleasant results. "She could be perpetrating one of the biggest frauds in American celebrity history," he suggested. "There are now serious investigators looking into the allegations and if the findings are as damning as what has been reported then you could watch the 'Ellen Show' go boom."
'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' has become the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia following numerous accounts of workplace problems, as per a Variety report. Executives from producer Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television sent a memo to staffers last week saying they have engaged WBTV-owner WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third-party firm after the working conditions at the show were exposed. In April, a Variety story highlighted the treatment of crew members during the coronavirus lockdown, and in mid-July, BuzzFeed's full-blown report cast light on the rampant racism and intimidation on the show.
As per reports, the memo came from the desks of Telepictures executive vice president Donna Redier Linsk and WBTV vice president of human resources Donna Hancock Husband. Meanwhile, a third-party consultant is also involved but the name isn't clear as of now. Schiffer said that the news of an investigation against the behind-the-scenes occurrences of DeGeneres' show did not surprise him because "there have been too many assertions that are credible.'' He added that "if the leadership team at WarnerMedia didn't [act], they would feel the wrath of the public."
"I think Ellen has been arrogant in her entire approach in dealing with the allegations and it's crazy for her not to accept responsibility for what is happening under her leadership," he said. "In Hollywood, the buck stops at the star's name on the door, not at the producer level. It would be impossible for her to not know what [was] happening within her own staff."
As such, revelations of a toxic workplace "would be an apocalyptic ending to her TV career," Schiffer believes and that DeGeneres faces "a dangerous period in her career at a critical time in the American experience."
We reported earlier that at least 10 former staff members and one current employee of Ellen DeGeneres' talk show spoke to Buzzfeed anonymously and claimed that the show's mantra "Be Kind" was only for the TV. "That 'be kind' bulls**t only happens when the cameras are on. It's all for show. I know they give money to people and help them out, but it's for show," one former employee said.
Though most ex-employees made no specific claims against DeGeneres and blamed executive producers and other senior managers for the toxic work culture, one former staffer said that at the end of the day, it is Ellen's name on the show. "She really needs to take more responsibility. 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. 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 unnamed staff told the outlet.
In a joint statement, executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner said they take the stories of the employees “very seriously”. They added: “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 and inclusive work environment. 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.”
