Video shows Portia de Rossi claiming Ellen DeGeneres is ‘holding up great’ and planning to host show again
Ellen DeGeneres’ wife Portia de Rossi has shared an update about her spouse. The 47-year-old model-actor told a photographer on Sunday, August 9, that the talk show host, who is currently embroiled in controversy due to alleged toxic work environment, is “doing great”. Rossi was walking her dogs in Santa Barbara when she gave the statement.
The ‘Better Off Ted’ star was spotted wearing a casual outfit and sporting a hat, a scarf, and sunglasses. When de Rossi was asked repeatedly whether DeGeneres was planning to continue her namesake show, she responded, “yes, she is.” When the photographer asked how DeGeneres is holding up, de Rossi said, "doing great". You can watch the short video here.
This comes after de Rossi was slammed for supporting her partner. On August 4, she took to Instagram to show her support for DeGeneres amid all the drama. Sharing a picture of a blue square with the words ‘I stand by Ellen’, the ‘Arrested Development’ actress wrote: “To all our fans....we see you. Thank you for your support. #stopbotattacks. #IStandWithEllenDeGeneres #IStandByEllen #IstandByEllenDeGeneres.”
However, her gesture was not taken well by internet users as one said: "This can’t be real. Have some accountability. It isn’t made up when it’s dozens of employees and years of bad stories. stop acting like she is a victim when there are real victims.” "Because you have something to hide, that’s wy” and “I DONT STAND WITH ELLEN!” a second person said while third added: “Dont stand by Ellen when the truth finally came out and theres proof shes mistreated some of her guests."
Meanwhile, previously it was reported that the 62-year-old comedian will come back to host the 18th season of her chat show despite an ongoing investigation into allegations of toxic work culture. Her possible return to the talk show was confirmed by Telepictures to NBC News.
Melissa Little Padgitt, the spokesperson of the show, said that the staff members returned to the work remotely after a summer hiatus on August 3. An insider close to the show’s production refuted Ellen's replacement claims and confirmed that “no one is stepping in or taking over” the place of her, though the investigation into the show is “still ongoing” involving a third party. The insider added that the shooting for DeGeneres’ spin-off show, ‘Ellen’s Game of Games’, will likely begin on August 24 in the studio, while the host’s personal spokesperson said that the show will premiere on September 9.
The investigation into ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, which is airing since 2003, was launched after Buzzfeed published a story on July 16 quoting a current employee and former staffers who claimed they faced racism and bullying on the show set. They also claimed that the famous talk show's mantra "Be Kind" was only for the reel life.
Following this, on July 30, DeGeneres apologized for the employees' claims and released a memo to them. “On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show,” the message read.