Ellen DeGeneres addresses toxic workplace scandal ahead of show finale
Ellen DeGeneres addressed the infamous toxic workplace scandal that saw three of her most senior staffers axed from “The Ellen Show.”
The comic is preparing to take to the stage at Warner Bros lot in Burbank, Calif., one last time to wrap up her hit talk show on Thursday after 19 seasons on air.
DeGeneres refused to go off air without briefly touching on the controversy that rocked her popular show in 2020 — including claims she was rude to staffers.
“I have to just trust that whatever happened during that time, which was obviously very, very difficult, happened for a reason,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
“I think that I learned a lot, and there were some things that came up that I was shocked and surprised by. It was eye-opening, but I just trust that that had to happen.”
DeGeneres was famously slammed by past and present employees with accusations of enabling a “toxic culture” when the cameras weren’t rolling — plunging her signature phrase “be kind to one another” into doubt.
She found herself engulfed in accusations of bullying behavior by not only staffers, but past guests and even fellow celebs – with some insisting her mean nature is common knowledge among the Hollywood elite.
Calling the controversy a “very, very difficult” time, the 64-year-old told the outlet that she has been “crying every day” while taping episodes of her final season.
“Whatever happened during that time, which was obviously very, very difficult, happened for a reason.”
Ellen DeGeneres
The 33-time Emmy Award winner revealed she has been trying to keep the last two weeks of filming “fun,” in a bid to combat her “struggle with anxiety and depression.”
Calling the scandal “unfortunate,” DeGeneres said, “It is what it is — you go through stuff in life and you just keep learning and growing. That’s how I have to look at it.”
The accusations forced WarnerMedia to launch an investigation into her show.
DeGeneres said she originally planned to pump the brakes on the daytime show three years ago, just before she was slapped with sensational allegations.
She was ultimately talked into staying a little bit longer, she told the outlet.
“There were some things that came up that I was shocked and surprised by.”
Ellen DeGeneres
She eventually apologized in July 2020, saying at her season 18 premiere, “I’m so sorry to the people it affected. I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”
DeGeneres told THR it’s the right time for her to bring the show to an end, saying the world is “in a crazy place” and has become “very charged.”
“But it’s definitely time to stop. And the producers, we’ll all stay in touch. Andy [Lassner] still texts me at least three times a day,” she added.