Ashton Kutcher is backing up Ellen DeGeneres amid the ongoing workplace investigations at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The former That ’70s Show star took to Twitter on Tuesday to support the daytime talk show host.
“I haven’t spoken with @TheEllenShow and can only speak from my own experience. She & her team have only treated me & my team w/ respect & kindness,” he wrote. “She never pandered to celebrity which I always saw as a refreshing honesty. When things aren’t right she handles it and fixes.”
When a couple of followers expressed that DeGeneres only treats him well because he’s a celebrity, Kutcher replied to one, “But it extends to my team and people she didn’t even know I work with.”
Kutcher is the latest celebrity to come to DeGeneres’ defense amid allegations made by current and former Ellen employees about the “toxic” work environment. Katy Perry, Kevin Hart, as well as DeGeneres’ wife, Portia de Rossi, have spoken out in defense of the multi Emmy-winning TV personality.
Others, like Tony Okungbowa, who served as the DJ for The Ellen DeGeneres Show for several years, spoke out about the “toxicity” he claims to have witnessed firsthand.
“I was on air talent from 2003-2006 and from 2007-2013,” Okungbowa wrote in part on Tuesday. “While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward.”
DeGeneres made headlines after Warner Bros. Television sent an internal memo late last month informing staffers that WarnerMedia would be seeking the services of an independent third-party firm to interview current and former employees about their experiences behind the scenes on the popular show, after one current and 10 former employees anonymously spoke with BuzzFeed News about their negative experiences on the show in an article published July 16.
Ellen DeGeneres Apologizes to Talk Show Staff in Letter Addressing Misconduct Claims
In an internal letter sent to show staff, obtained by 360aproko last Thursday, DeGeneres apologized and affirmed that she was committed to “having conversations about fairness and justice.”
In a statement to 360aproko, Warner Bros. offered more information on the internal investigation, saying that they, and DeGeneres, “take the recent allegations around the show’s workplace culture very seriously.”
“Warner Bros. and Ellen DeGeneres are all committed to ensuring a workplace based on respect and inclusion,” the statement read in part. We are confident this course of action will lead us to the right way forward for the show.”
On Tuesday, 360aproko learned that a virtual staff meeting was held on Monday for show employees, to update them on the current investigation into alleged workplace misconduct.
360aproko has been told there are staff who feel hopeful there will be positive change at the production and more involvement from DeGeneres herself. The host and staff plan to start shooting new episodes in September for the new season.
A source told 360aproko that DeGeneres “has been really tuned out in the past few years,” noting “possible fatigue” from doing the show for so long.
“She can’t be expected to hand-hold everyone,” the source explained. “That being said, her name is on the door, and that means everything. Leadership comes from the top. Sure, sometimes people walk on eggshells around her, but she’s the boss.”
As for those who have come out in her defense (celebrities and some employees), the source added, “If she loves you, she will work very hard to make you feel comfortable.”
