‘Ellen’ Producers Face Another Round Of Allegations, Including Sexual Misconduct

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Ellen DeGeneres, posing at the Golden Globe Awards in January.

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Television
‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Is Under Internal Investigation

The new allegations published by BuzzFeed News on Thursday followed a report published by the same outlet earlier this month, in which 11 current and former staffers made accusations against the show’s senior executives and HR that included the firing of employees for having taken medical or bereavement leave and racist comments made against a Black employee. On Monday, NPR confirmed that WarnerMedia has started an internal investigation based on those earlier published allegations.

In its Thursday report, Variety said that Ed Glavin — who was also specifically mentioned in the first round of allegations — will be departing from the show. Across all of its reporting, BuzzFeed News says that 47 former employees accuse Glavin of having «led with intimidation and fear on a daily basis.

WarnerMedia sent a statement to NPR on Friday that read in part: «We hoped to determine the validity and extent of publicly reported allegations and to understand the full breadth of the show’s day-to-day culture. … though not all of the allegations were corroborated, we are disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management. 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. 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.