Brad Garrett is sharing his thoughts on the former and current employee accusations made against The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The Everybody Loves Raymond star retweeted an article about Ellen DeGeneres addressing the alleged “toxic” work environment, claiming that mistreatment by the TV host is “common knowledge.”
“Sorry but it comes from the top @TheEllenShow,” Garrett tweeted, adding that he knows “more than one who were treated horribly by her. Common knowledge.”
Meanwhile, Scooter Braun took to Twitter to defend DeGeneres.
“People love to take shots at people. They love to see people fall. How quickly so many forget. @TheEllenShow is a kind, thoughtful, courageous human being who stands for what is right and highlights on her show the best of us,” he wrote. “She has helped change the views for equality.”
“Needed to say this as I know first hand how she helps so many when we are watching and when we are not. She isn’t about what is popular she is about what is right. Sending love to Ellen today,” Braun added.
In an internal letter sent to show staff, obtained by 360aproko on Thursday, DeGeneres apologized and affirmed that she was committed to “having conversations about fairness and justice.”
“On day one of our show, 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,” DeGeneres wrote in her letter. “Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.”
DeGeneres said she was glad the problems had been brought to her attention and noted that she and Warner Bros. were taking steps to “correct the issues,” pending the results of their internal investigation.
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. Television sent an internal memo last week informing staffers that WarnerMedia would be seeking the services of an independent third-party firm, which will interview current and former employees about their experiences behind the scenes on the popular daytime talk show, after one current and 10 former employees anonymously spoke with BuzzFeed News about their experience on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in an article published July 16.
A rep for the show declined to comment on the reports regarding the investigation.
No specific claims against host Ellen DeGeneres were made, however, the article said that the producers made the set a “toxic work experience” for many. Among the claims were mentions of being fired after taking medical leave or bereavement days, with others claiming they were told not to speak to DeGeneres if she was in the office.
On July 17, Mary Connelly, Ed Glavin and Andy Lassner — executive producers of The Ellen DeGeneres Show — expressed their regret over the former employees’ experiences in a statement released to 360aproko.
“Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment. We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience,” Connelly, Glavin and Lassner said in the joint statement. “It’s not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us.”
“For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us,” the statement added. “We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better.”
