The Ellen DeGeneres Show has become the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia; following numerous accounts of workplace problems on the long-running daytime series.
Executives from show producer Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television sent a memo to staffers last week saying they have engaged WBTV-owner WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third-party firm, who will interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set, said sources.
The memo comes on the heels of recent unflattering reports about working conditions at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In April, Variety reported on the treatment of legacy crew members during the coronavirus lockdown.
In mid-July, BuzzFeed published a report alleging racism and intimidation on the show. The memo came from the desks of Telepictures executive vice president and WBTV vice president of human resources.
BuzzFeed’s story contained a spectrum of accused racist behavior, from microagressions to jokes about mistaking two Black female employees with the same hairstyle
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There was also criticism of statements that the executive producer Ed Glavin allegedly made to another staffer. Glavin and fellow executive producers Andy Lassner and Mary Connelly addressed the allegations in a joint statement to 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,” the group said.
“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, and we will do better.”