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Ellen DeGeneres employees told changes being made after claims of ‘toxicity’ behind the scenes

Email sent to staff said that staffing changes and other measures were being taken

Isobel Lewis
Monday 17 August 2020 11:22 BST
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Employees at Ellen Degeneres’s talk show have been told that steps are being taken to improve their work environment following reports of “toxicity”.

The Ellen Degeneres Show is currently facing an internal investigation following allegations of sexual misconduct, racism and workplace bullying taking place behind the scenes of the long-running daytime show.

In an email sent to staff on Thursday (13 August) Warner Bros Television, the parent company behind The Ellen Show, said that while not all of the anonymous allegations had been corroborated, the investigation had found some to be true.

“We are disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management,” the statement read.

Warner Bros said that several staffing changes and other measures were being taken to bring about change, but no more details were provided.

Degeneres on The Ellen Show (Getty Images)

Degeneres addressed her employees directly in July in a letter apologising to former staff members and vowing to ensure better treatment of workers in future.

“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,’ the note read.

“Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry.”

Over the last couple of weeks, a number of celebrities and former guests on The Ellen Show, including Katy Perry, Kevin Hart and Ashton Kutcher, have spoken out in defence of the TV host.

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