'Kelly has no clue': 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' employees open up about toxic work culture
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' staffers described the workplace as a "toxic" environment that has left them "overworked, underpaid," and "traumatized." They revealed that the show's host Kelly Clarkson has no clue about the worker's situation. Eleven employees including one current and 10 ex-employees of the show exposed the alleged toxicity of the workplace.
"I remember going up on the roof of the stage to cry, being like, ‘Oh, my gosh, what am I doing? Why am I putting myself through this?’," said one of the former workers. The employees claimed that the harmful work culture has negatively impacted their mental health and producers often "bullied and intimidated" them, according to Rolling Stone.
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'Worst experience I've ever had in my entire life'
Talking about the alleged workplace issue, another ex-worker said that they "truly couldn't handle it mentally" and was forced to see a psychiatrist for the first time. "The worst experience I've ever had in my entire life. It deterred me from wanting to work in the daytime ever again. When I say I was traumatized, I was really traumatized," said the former employee.
The show's staffers took other jobs to meet their expenses
Many employees also accused the show of not even paying them enough to letting them be capable of living only on their salaries. Several of them told the outlet that to pay their bills, they had to take on other jobs as Uber Eats drivers, dog walkers, and babysitters.
However, the staffers do not believe Kelly knows about her "toxic" workplace as she has been shielded from the behind-the-scenes. "NBC is protecting the show because it’s their new money maker, but Kelly has no clue how unhappy her staff is," an ex-employee told the outlet. One of them called the 41-year-old host "fantastic" and added that she is someone who "never treats anyone with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative."
"I would be shocked if she knew. I’d be floored if she knew the staff wasn’t getting paid for two weeks of Christmas hiatus. The Kelly that I interacted with and that everyone knows would probably be pretty aghast to learn that," they said.
'The Kelly Clarkson Show' claims employees have made 'untrue' allegations
However, responding to the statements made by the employees, Kelly claimed the allegations were "untrue", reported People. "We are committed to a safe and respectful work environment and take workplace complaints very seriously and to insinuate otherwise is untrue," reads a statement to the outlet shared by an NBC Universal spokesperson.
"When issues are reported they are promptly reviewed, investigated, and acted upon as appropriate. The Kelly Clarkson Show strives to build a safe, respectful, and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity," the statement continued.