BuzzFeed News published an article this month that described what it called a “toxic work culture.” In the article, former staff members said they faced “racism, fear and intimidation” and laid most of the blame on three of the show’s executive producers, Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner.
Former employees said they were fired for taking time off for medical leave or bereavement. Black employees said they experienced racist comments. One said that one of the show’s writers had told her, “I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here.”
In a joint statement to BuzzFeed News, Mr. Glavin, Ms. Connelly and Mr. Lassner 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, are committed to do better, and we will do better.”
Variety first reported on the WarnerMedia investigation.
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the winner of dozens of Emmys, is now on summer hiatus. Warner Bros. has yet to announce how it will go on as the pandemic continues.
Last year, Ms. DeGeneres renewed her contract to continue hosting the program through 2022. She also signed a deal to create three shows for WarnerMedia’s streaming platform, HBO Max.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/business/media/ellen-degeneres-show-investigation.html
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