“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is the subject of an internal probe by Warner Media after reports of a toxic work environment.
A memo to staff from show producer Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television that says they have engaged WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third party firm to interview current and former employees about their experiences working for the show.
A source close to production of the show confirmed that the investigation started last week and conversations were ongoing between past and present employees. Ellen DeGeneres is not part of the review.
One former employee, a Black woman, said she was subjected to multiple racist comments and microaggressions during her year and a half working on the show. At a work party, for example, one of the show’s main writers told her: “I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here.”
She said when she asked producers not to use offensive phrases like “spirit animal” in scripts, her colleagues called her “the PC police.” She eventually left work one day and never came back.
Another employee said that after taking a medical leave to spend a month at a mental health facility following a suicide attempt, the employee was told upon returning that their position was being eliminated.
In regard to reports of the probe, representatives for Warner Bros. Television and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” declined to comment. DeGeneres has not made any public comments about the allegations or the probe.
Original Source: By Elisha Fieldstadt and Diana Dasrath NBC News
