Former Ellen DeGeneres Staff Blast Racist & “Toxic Work Environment”

Ellen DeGeneres is under fire again by her former employees for an alleged racist and ‘toxic work environment,’ at the hands of her producers and show executives.

“That ‘be kind’ bullshit only happens when the cameras are on. It’s all for show,” one employee told BuzzFeed News. “I know they give money to people and help them out, but it’s for show.”

Despite the backlash, most of the former employees placed blame on executive producers and other senior execs for the day-to-day issues, however, most believe that Ellen has a responsibility to change this.

“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,” one former employee said. “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.”

A former black employee also voiced her frustration, adding that she experienced racism at the hands of the executives,

“I was told, ‘Oh wow, you both have box braids; I hope we don’t get you confused.’ [And at a work party, one of the writers said,] ‘I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here.’”

Executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner sent a statement to Buzzfeed regarding the allegations,

“Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment,” they told. “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.

“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.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqmCuCjWkUs&feature=emb_title