Ellen DeGeneres says she'll be 'talking to fans' as damage control move after talk show fires three producers
Ellen DeGeneres, amid mounting controversy surrounding herself and her talk show, on Sunday, August 23, revealed her next attempts at damage control. The TV show host was spotted leaving a restaurant in the Southern California city with a friend on August 23 as claims that she permitted a "toxic" workplace at 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' continues to gain steam.
The 62-year-old was asked by reporters how her show would look after three of its top producers were fired over allegations of "toxic work culture." DeGeneres simply responded by saying: "I will be talking to my fans."
Warner Bros Television, last week, announced that three of the show's senior producers had been fired from 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show': Head writer Kevin Leman, Jonathan Norman, a co-executive producer and Ed Glavin, one of the executive producers. The show's employees described the work culture of the show as rife with "racism, fear, and intimidation." Multiple employees also accused Leman of sexual harassment. However, he has denied any allegations of improper behavior. 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' is produced by a division of Warners Bros called Telepictures.
DeGeneres, last week, had addressed her staff through video chat announcing the firings and had also revealed that the show's DJ Steven Laurel Boss had been promoted to executive producer. She also offered a second apology to her employees on the same call after her initial apology over the controversy in July.
Warner Bros Television, earlier this month, had also denied a report claiming that crew members of the show have been left in the lurch, with many uncertain about their compensation in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. The crew of the popular daytime talk show, consisting of more than 30 people, is enraged over their treatment from top producers, according to a report by Variety. The crew has alleged that they received no communication about the status of their working hours, pay, or inquiries about their mental and physical health from producers for over a month. One source told the outlet the higher-ups in the production would sometime receive their calls but reveal little about the status of their show or compensation.
The allegations were denied by the studio, as a spokesperson in a statement to the outlet said that the crew had been paid consistently, although at reduced hours. The studio, however, acknowledged that its communications with the crew could have been better and blamed the confusion on the chaos surrounding the novel coronavirus and related restrictions in place to curb its spread.
It was also reported that crew members were upset after learning that DeGeneres was expanding her output from hosting four shows a week to five, without any official word given to them from the producers. The outlet reported that the crew was last paid in full for the week of March 16, when the Warner Bros lot, located in Burbank, closed down amid social distancing measures in the wake of coronavirus. Sources told the outlet that almost all of the show's crew members were reportedly informed that they should brace for nearly 60 percent reduction in pay even as the show continues to air.