[ad_1]
The move comes after BuzzFeed News reports detailed a slew of employee allegations in the workplace, including sexual misconduct, racism and bullying.
Krystie Lee Yandoli BuzzFeed Journalist
Posted May 12, 2021, 10:44 a.m. ET
Chris Pizzello / AP
Carol Burnett Award winner Ellen DeGeneres poses at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 5, 2020.
Ellen DeGeneres has decided to end her daytime talk show, which has faltered in ratings after allegations of a toxic work environment where top producers have engaged in a wide range of sexual misconduct with lower level employees.
Representatives for the show did not immediately return requests for comment, but in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, DeGeneres said its upcoming 19th season would be its last. She also defined the decision that the show was no longer a creative challenge.
When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged and as awesome as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore, DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter.
The news was first reported by the Daily Mail.
But the decision to end its Emmy-winning show also comes after BuzzFeed News reports detailed a wide range of allegations by current and former employees, including that three of the show’s executive producers oversaw a A work culture where sexual harassment and inappropriate touching was pervasive, prompting an internal investigation from WarnerMedia.
Shortly after the investigation was launched, DeGeneres sent a letter to staff, responding to former employees who said racism, fear and bullying were rife. In her post, DeGeneres said she has come to rely on others to stay on top of day-to-day operations, but added: My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for it. .
In August, DeGeneres announced that executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman, and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman had been fired.
Susan Sterner / Associated Press
Anne Heche (right) stands up to hug her partner, Ellen DeGeneres, during a break from the set of Ellen, February 13, 1998.
But his apologies could not stem the fallout. Months later, the show was losing advertisers, struggling to book high profile celebrities and suffering audience decline during what is usually the busiest time of the year, sources with knowledge of the year told BuzzFeed News. the situation.
In her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, DeGeneres said she had been considering quitting the show for several years, but was convinced to stay. But then reports of misconduct started to appear, and “unfortunately I learned about this from the press.”
“And at first I couldn’t believe it because I know how happy everyone is here and how every guest talks about ‘Dude, you have a great place here. From all the talk shows I have. done, everyone here is so happy. ‘ It’s all I’ve ever heard, ”she said. “So there was an internal investigation, obviously, and we learned things but this culture was alive and well. [is one where] no one can make mistakes. And I don’t want to generalize because there are bad people out there and those people shouldn’t be working anymore but, in general, today’s culture is one where you can’t learn and grow, which is, as human beings, what we were here to do. “
DeGeneres’ departure from daytime television marks a dizzying downfall for an actress who began stand-up before building an empire based on her observational humor and reputation as the Queen of Nice. She rose to fame in the ’90s starring in ABC’s sitcom Ellen, where she made history in 1997 when her character became gay.
She launched The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2003, and it quickly became one of the top-rated daytime TV shows, as well as a popular promotional stop for celebrities.
Much of his branding included his oft-used phrase, be kind to each other, but in recent years this mantra has started to be challenged by employees and former guests.
Richard Shotwell / AP
The Ellen DeGeneres Show crew pose in the press room with the award for Best Entertainment Talk Show at the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 22, 2014.
In April 2020, YouTuber beauty Nikkie de Jager accused DeGeneres of being cold and distant when she appeared on her show months earlier. DeGeneres’ bodyguard at the 2014 Oscars also pointed out how hostile she was.
Variety also reported in April 2020 that members of the talk show crew were outraged at how top producers handled the shutdown in production amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying they didn’t received no written communication about their hours of work or their pay for more than a month.
Then, in July, BuzzFeed News reported on allegations of a toxic workplace, where former employees said they were fired after taking bereavement leave for family emergencies. Others cited repeated incidents of managers making racist comments.
This report triggered an internal investigation. In a July 30 statement, Warner Bros. stated that while not all of the allegations have been substantiated, we are disappointed that the main findings of the investigation pointed to some shortcomings related to the day-to-day management of emissions.
On the same day, DeGeneres sent an apology to its staff, saying the show was meant to be a place of happiness where everyone would be treated with respect.
Obviously something has changed and I’m disappointed to learn that it hasn’t. And for that, I’m sorry, she said.
Hours later, BuzzFeed News released a second report, this time focusing on allegations of widespread sexual misconduct among three male executive producers Glavin, Norman and Leman. The allegations included groping, improper touching and solicitation of oral sex with staff members. Norman and Leven strongly denied the allegations. Glavin did not respond to a request for comment.
DeGeneress mea culpa in the middle of the exhibit did little to appease the staff, who called his apology dishonest.
A current long-time employee told BuzzFeed News that DeGeneress’ letter to staff members did not appear to have been written by the talk show host herself.
If I wanted to think that there would be an ounce of hope to save the show, it really had to come out and be genuine and I just don’t believe it, the employee said. She does what she said to save what she can of the image she left behind.
DeGeneres reportedly informed her staff of the decision to end the show on Tuesday and plans to sit down with Oprah Winfrey to discuss the news on Thursday.
[ad_2]
picture credit