‘Ellen Show’ Crew Furious Over Poor Communication About Pay During Coronavirus Shutdown

The crew of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was furious over the poor communication regarding their pay during the coronavirus shutdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced several shows to halt their production. Ellen DeGeneres’ long-running daytime talk show has also been affected by the coronavirus outbreak. They have stopped filming in the studio, leaving the majority of its crew jobless.

There were about 30 core crew members behind the show. They reportedly didn’t receive any written communication about their working hours, pay or inquiries about their mental and physical health from the producers for over a month. Two sources broke their silence about the issue on the condition of anonymity and said that the production would occasionally answer their calls but reveal little about their concerns, Variety reported.

They were further incensed when the production hired a non-union tech company to help DeGeneres tape remotely from her home to film new episodes. Nearly all crew members were allegedly told to ready themselves for a potential 60% reduction in pay even if the show continues to air.

Only four core members currently work on the remote version. Insiders find the treatment toward DeGeneres’ crew “totally inconsistent” of the host’s daily message to her audiences to “be kind.”

Warner Bros. Television, which distributes the show, addressed the concerns to Variety. According to a spokesperson, the executive producers and Telepictures are committed to taking care of their staff and crew. The studio also reiterated that the crew has been paid consistently though at reduced hours. The Warner Bros. spokesperson acknowledged that the communication with the crew could have been better.

DeGeneres has already returned to the small screen. The comedian gave a heartwarming message to everyone and reveal the reason why she wanted to be back on her show.

“I wanted to start doing my new show as soon as possible, because it's really for people who are stuck at home, especially my staff and crew,” said DeGeneres.“I love them. I miss them, and the best thing I can do to support them is keep the show on the air.”