‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ under investigation for workplace misconduct

WarnerMedia is taking the workplace misconduct allegations on the set of The Ellen DeGeneres Show very seriously. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, the company has launched an investigation into the claims from 10 former and one current employees that the show has a toxic work culture, and that they faced discrimination and mistreatment while employed there.Earlier this month BuzzFeed News published an article citing those employees as they anonymously revealed stories of being let go after taking medical leave or bereavement days, or for speaking out against the long work hours. One Black woman also opened up about the microaggressions and racism she faced throughout the year and a half that she worked there after asking for a raise (she had learned a new hire made more for the same job) and for bringing up concerns over problematic language (she didn’t believe they should use the term “spirit animal”). At one point she claimed that a writer told her, “I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here.”Both THR and Variety claim inside sources have confirmed an investigation is underway, and that executives from Warner Bros. Television and production company Telepictures sent a letter to employees outlining the process. The companies declined to comment at time of press, but Variety and The New York Times both report that WarnerMedia’s employee relations department and representatives from an outside company will interview current and former staff members about their experiences on the program.When the BuzzFeed story was published on July 16, The Ellen DeGeneres Show producers released a joint statement addressing the allegations. “Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1,000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment,” Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner told the publication. “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.”They added, "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." So far DeGeneres has not responded to the allegations. The BuzzFeed story, meanwhile, was published on the heels of reports that DeGeneres is difficult to work with and is not as “nice” in person as her image would have fans believe. Last April the show itself also faced criticism in the wake of the current coronavirus pandemic, as employees reported feeling distressed over their bosses not communicating what was going on with their jobs and pay when stay-at-home orders hit and in-studio productions shut down.The Ellen DeGeneres Show is now on a summer hiatus, and no official plans have been communicated in terms of how filming will proceed this fall following new social distancing protocols on set. Last year DeGeneres renewed her contract to continue hosting the series until 2022, while also striking a deal to create three new shows for WarnerMedia’s streaming platform, HBO Max. Those shows are also expected to come to Canadian streaming service Crave.In addition to hosting and producing The Ellen DeGeneres Show, DeGeneres is a producer on many other series including Little Big Shots, Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways, and the recently cancelled comedy Splitting Up Together. She is also teaming up with Fox to produce the upcoming Masked Singer spinoff, The Masked Dancer.[video_embed id='2002947']RELATED: Sandra Bullock celebrates her 56th birthday with social distancing party[/video_embed]