On her mega-popular talk show, Ellen DeGeneres encourages her viewers to, quote, "be kind."
But there's been ongoing speculation that DeGeneres is not so nice herself when the
cameras aren't rolling.
In July 2020, BuzzFeed News published an exposé about the talk show's toxic workplace environment,
sharing anecdotes from 10 former employees and one current employee, all of whom asked
to remain anonymous to avoid repercussions from speaking out about their experiences.
One person claimed to the outlet,
"That 'be kind' bulls--- only happens when the cameras are on. It's all for show."
Others alleged they were fired for taking medical leave or attending funerals. One employee
claimed there were comments about her race from The Ellen DeGeneres Show's executive
producers, with one former staffer remarking DeGeneres, quote, "really needs to take more
responsibility" for the way people are treated at work.
Executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner told BuzzFeed,
"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."
However, Everybody Loves Raymond actor Brad Garrett puts the blame on DeGeneres herself,
tweeting in late July 2020,
"Sorry but it comes from the top ⁦@TheEllenShow Know more than one who were treated horribly
by her.⁩ Common knowledge."
“I can never do anything unkind, ever, now, ever. I’m the ‘be kind’ girl.”
It turns out, Garrett is far from the first to call out DeGeneres.
In late July 2020, The Hollywood Reporter obtained a letter that Ellen DeGeneres sent
to her show's staff members, addressing the recent allegations about a toxic workplace
culture. DeGeneres reportedly wrote,
"On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres
Show would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone
would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to
learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me
knows it's the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show."
The host said went on to say,
"My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that. Alongside
Warner Bros, we immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together,
to correct the issues."
She additionally contended that she hasn't been able to, quote, "stay on top of everything"
as much as she would like, owing to the show's popularity and growth over the years. She
also insisted that she and the show's executives are now, quote, "committed to ensuring this
does not happen again."
DeGeneres wrote,
"I'm also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and
misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop."
While DeGeneres insists that her employees "misrepresent" who she truly is, her former
bodyguard probably isn't buying that claim, based on his own difficult experience with
her, which he previously opened up about.
In the letter that Ellen DeGeneres reportedly sent to her staff, she attributed the toxic
work culture to senior employees, but her former bodyguard Tom Majercak claims he was
treated poorly by DeGeneres herself.
When DeGeneres hosted the 2014 Oscars, Majercak was a bodyguard for the star, her wife Portia
De Rossi, and DeGeneres' mother. In a May 2020 Fox News interview, Majercak claimed,
"Ellen is the one person that I've been assigned to — and I've been assigned to quite a few
celebrities — that has never taken the time to say hi to me."
In contrast, he said De Rossi was, quote, "very pleasant and carried on a conversation."
Majercak recalled,
"It started going negatively when [De Rossi] introduced me to Ellen and Ellen pretty much
just gave me a side glance out of her eye and didn't even say 'hello,' or 'thank you
for protecting my mother, my wife and me.'"
He called the interaction, quote, "very cold" and "very sly", saying that the way DeGeneres
treated people, quote, "was actually kind of demeaning."
He also admitted,
"It's bugged me for years. I see this person come across as being very enlightened and
positive and awesome and everybody loves her and is in awe and that's really not the case
when you meet her in person."
DeGeneres' representative did not comment on those claims. Even so, it doesn't seem
like this story is over, since even more people are sharing stories of their experiences with
her.
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