Ellen DeGeneres' Staff Fears Host Quitting, Show Getting Canceled, Source Says
KEY POINTS
- The staff of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" fears that it will be canceled amid its string of controversies, a report said
- Former employees alleged that sexual misconduct occurred behind the scenes of "Ellen"
- Ellen DeGeneres apologized to staff and promised that changes will be made
"Ellen DeGeneres Show" staffers are worried that the talk show is over after its producers came under fire for workplace misconduct and mistreatment of employees, a report said.
Ellen DeGeneres' long-running daytime show has been put under investigation following multiple complaints from former and current employees. Just recently, several staffers accused the show's top executive producers, Kevin Leman, Ed Glavin and Jonathan Norman, of sexual misconduct. Now, a report said that some crew members are concerned about possibly losing their jobs after "Ellen's" string of controversies.
"Staffers are texting and calling each other freaking out as they fear Ellen [DeGeneres] will quit or that the show will be canceled," a source told Us Weekly. "The show feels done. It’s going to be very hard to turn this around."
This comes after BuzzFeed News published a report on Thursday detailing former "Ellen DeGeneres Show" employees' allegations against Leman, Glavin and Norman.
Leman, head writer and executive producer, was accused of sexually explicit comments and soliciting one ex-staffer for oral sex.
Five former employees said in the report that Glavin touched them inappropriately. Dozens of other crew members told BuzzFeed News the executive producer was known for "being handsy with women."
Norman, a co-executive producer on the show, was accused by a male crew member of grooming him and attempting to perform oral sex on him.
Leman and Norman have both denied the allegations.
Meanwhile, Glavin is expected to leave the show. He is one of the three senior producers closest to DeGeneres, along with Andy Lassner and Mary Connelly. Lassner and Connelly are staying and will remain on board because there were no complaints against them, sources told Variety.
As for the host, DeGeneres recently issued an apology to the staff after learning about their complaints. In the letter obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, the 62-year-old comedian said she was sorry for failing to make their workplace a "place of happiness." She also recognized their contribution to her and the show's success and promised them change.
"I could not have the success I’ve had without all of your contributions. My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that," DeGeneres wrote in her letter.
"As we have grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly, some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again," she added.
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