Ellen DeGeneres has apologized to her staff regarding abuse allegations some of her self-titled show’s staff vented to Buzzfeed earlier this month.
In a letter she released to the press, DeGeneres wrote that she was “disappointed” to learn that her set was not the “place of happiness” she intended it to be. Ellen vowed to “do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow.”
While staff mentioning several high-ranking producers on the show in the complaints, Ellen DeGeneres herself was not. That doesn’t absolve her, she added, as the show bears her name.
“As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything. I rely on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done,” DeGeneres wrote. “Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”
Warner Bros, the production company behind The Ellen DeGeneres Show released a statement on Thursday. The statement noted that after interviewing dozens of current and former employees, they determined that there were “some deficiencies in relation to the show’s day-to-day management”. However, the company added, “not all of the allegations were corroborated.”
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“We have identified several staffing changes, along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised, and are taking the first steps to implement them,” the statement read.
“Warner Bros. and Ellen DeGeneres are all committed to ensuring a workplace based on respect and inclusion. We are confident this course of action will lead us to the right way forward for the show.”
In the Buzzfeed article, executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner said that they took the claims made against the show “very seriously”. They added, “We are truly heartbroken. We are 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 continued.
For her part, DeGeneres’ said she was “glad” that she is now aware of these issues.
“As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am; I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal; or worse disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me,” she wrote.
“It’s been way too long, but we’re finally having conversations about fairness and justice. We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others.”
