The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003 to present) has won multiple Emmy awards, but both the talk show and DeGeneres herself have been under fire for weeks. There were complaints by former productions staffers about a hostile workplace that included racism and bullying by upper management and claims that the comedian is mean-spirited.
Warner Bros Television, which produces the talk show, conducted an internal investigation and said last week that staffing changes and other measures were being taken to address the issue.
DeGeneres also emailed staff, expressing regrets about the gulf between the show’s happy public face and what was sometimes happening backstage.
Rather than damping criticism, the developments led to the #ReplaceEllen hashtag, which went viral on Monday. Users suggested that celebrities ranging from British singer Harry Styles to former United States first lady Michelle Obama should take over the show.
Warner Bros Television on Monday did not respond to a request for further comment.
Other celebrities like Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras and DJ Samantha Ronson also publicly supported DeGeneres.
“She makes the world a better place for millions of people everyday and we cannot hit her because something may have not been perfect,” Figueras wrote on Instagram.
The show’s executive producer broke his silence on the situation, and confirmed it is staying on the air! ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ executive producer, Andy Lassner, weighed in on the possibility of closing up shop, after joking on Twitter about how horrible 2020 has been for most people.
He took to Twitter and wrote: “Me: I really think 2020 is gonna turn around and start getting better,” Lassner wrote on Twitter. Adding, “2020: Lol, I’m gonna make your bed the epicenter.”
The tweet didn’t specifically address the issues on the set of his television show, but a fan responded to his message on Twitter saying “if the Ellen show goes off the air… you are able to find employment quickly.” And Lassner responded, “Nobody is going off the air.”
It’s pretty clear that the ‘Ellen’ bosses are not preparing for the show to go off the air or for DeGeneres to quit, however earlier today, reports surfaced that James Corden would be set to take over the show upon Ellen’s exit — but Andy’s message sure seems to point towards her remaining on the air.
The production company has admitted it will make ‘several staffing changes’ based on allegations against several of the show’s producers. Since then, Everybody Loves Raymond alum Brad Garrett and Back to the Future actress Lea Thompson have called out the host over alleged mistreatment.
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