On air, talk show hosts are charismatic, bubbly, and seem to genuinely enjoy conversation.
But there's a dark side to some of these charismatic hosts. From sexual harassment, to impossible
demands, these notable talkers have been accused by former staffers, of all of it!
Steve Harvey
Host and comedian, Steve Harvey is still dealing with the fallout from his "no popping in"
memo. Blogger Robert Feder first reported on the sharply-worded memo, in which Harvey
institutes a strict appointment-only rule for communicating with him. He also demands
dressing room privacy, writing, "IF YOU OPEN MY DOOR, EXPECT TO BE REMOVED.” Also: no
stopping him in hallways, or bothering him while he’s in the makeup chair. Sounds harsh!
But Harvey didn’t think so!
In a phone interview with Entertainment Tonight, Harvey described his work life as a “prison,”
likening it to not being able to walk to his car without people hassling him — a hilariously
tone-deaf way to complain about being the multi-millionaire head of a television program.
He wrapped things up by saying, "Everyone, do not take offense to the new way of doing
business. It is for the good of my personal life and enjoyment."
He’s about to shut out all of Chicago, as the show moves to LA to become just Steve.
Harvey, byeeee...
Rosie O'Donnell
Before Ellen danced her way to reigning queen of daytime talk, Rosie O'Donnell wore the
crown from 1996 to 2002 with The Rosie O'Donnell Show. But the scandal arose during her disastrous
return to the format with The Rosie Show on Oprah's OWN network.
According to The Daily Beast, one staffer bluntly categorized the show, "Such a f***ing
hellhole." Others cited strained working conditions, including a time when O'Donnell allegedly
berated her director, Joe Terry, in front of everyone. The source said, "She scolded
him in front of a live audience for using the wrong camera shots, suggesting he didn't
know what he was doing." She also got visibly frustrated with her bandleader, Katreese Barnes,
when she was unable to "Play obscure Broadway songs off the cuff right when she [Rosie]
named them on live TV." In her own defense, Barnes said, "My work speaks for itself. I'm
not upset that I don't know Into the Woods by heart. A little heads-up would have been
nice."
And when the show was canceled after just 5 months on the air, O'Donnell wasn't even
around when her staff got the news. According to The Daily Beast, "She was in New York,
tweeting about what a fun day she was having on Broadway."
Wonder if she got mad at Hamilton for not knowing the songs in her head.
Montel Williams
By October of 1998, Montel Williams was facing a variety of sexual harassment charges. Two
female former-staffers told Jet that Williams "often grabbed co-workers' buttocks, regularly
called women 'whores' and other derogatory names, and conducted meetings in his underwear."
And another former employee, Ernesto Medina, claimed the legendary talk show host "made
fun of him for being gay, gave him embarrassing 'sex toys' and grabbed his butt.”
Variety reported that each of the women dropped their charges, but it appears Ernesto Medina's
claims still stand. And until those "embarrassing sex toy" claims get sorted out, we're leaving
Williams right here on this list.
Right alongside this next Williams...
Wendy Williams
Wendy Williams has been plagued with employee drama ever since she was a DJ. In 2008, her
talent booker, Nicole Spence, filed a lawsuit against Williams, alleging that she "aided
and abetted the harassment and abuse" that Spence and other female employees suffered
at the hands of Williams' then-husband and manager, Kevin Hunter. Spence alleged that
Hunter repeatedly propositioned her for sex, and that Williams did nothing to dissuade
his behavior, even offering to take Spence shopping so she could, quote, "dress like
a sexy little b***h as Mr. Hunter demanded."
Spence's lawsuit was settled, as was a class action lawsuit brought against Williams and
her daytime chat show, by former intern, Anthony Tart. According to Deadline, Tart alleged
that he and around 100 other show interns, over the years, mostly spent their time "washing
dishes, getting coffee, picking up art supplies, stocking printers, throwing out garbage, and
creating a tape library." Williams' parent company, Lionsgate, agreed to a $1.3 million
dollar settlement, which included, quote, "all former interns of the studio," — around
1,800 people — according to Deadline.
Guilty conscience, Wendy?
​David Letterman
David Letterman admitted to his own behind-the-scenes sexual misconduct at the show when he outed
a would-be blackmailer live on air.
“I have had sex with women who work for me on the show”
The announcement was shocking, but shut down controversy over the late night host's questionable
employer-employee romances. But other former staffers have claimed that regardless, Letterman
wasn’t that great to be around.
The New York Daily News published former staffer anecdotes from Jason Zinoman's book, Letterman:
The Last Giant of Late Night. Former head writer Tim Long had such anxiety over Letterman's
"constant rejections and dark moods" that he "chewed Coke cans and swallowed pieces
of tin." Another longtime staffer said, "There comes a moment when he turns on you." His
longtime girlfriend and one-time head writer for Late Night, Merrill Markoe, claimed Letterman
would close himself off in his office and complain to her, saying, "The last 10 months
have included a nightly discussion about what a failure we are.” A beloved performer and
comedic genius, Letterman sure sounds like Mr. Hyde off the air.
Maybe he was just frustrated he wasn’t allowed to grow his beard.
Johnny Carson
Like Letterman, Johnny Carson was an iconic host of late night TV who also suffered from
what appeared to be some pretty dark personal demons when he wasn't performing. In a column
for The Hollywood Reporter, Dick Cavett once wrote, "It's a little obvious to say I think
he was only happy for that hour or hour and a half of his day, but I think it was true."
Carson's off-screen temper has been well-documented by his former lawyer, Henry Bushkin, who wrote
a scathing expose of the former Tonight Show host, claiming Carson once described himself
as “I’m a s---. I have three kids with my first wife and I don’t see any of them...I
can’t quit smoking and I get drunk every night and I chase all the p---- I can get.”
Carson's iciness translated directly to his staff, with whom he barely interacted, according
to a 1978 New Yorker profile. And there's the story of Art Stark, Carson's longtime
NBC producer who stood by Carson's side while he bitterly fought the network for more control
over The Tonight Show. When Carson got his way, he immediately forced Stark's resignation,
claiming, "He wanted another producer, unconnected with NBC." If "pretty crappy" was the answer
in a Carnac the Magnificent sketch, the question in the envelope would have been: “What was
it like to work for Johnny Carson?” But he may have said it best in his farewell monologue:
“I’m gonna have to be very honest with you, I don’t know if I can take another
night of this.”
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