Ellen DeGeneres ex staffer compares life on ‘toxic’ set to The Devil Wears Prada
A former camera assistant on The Ellen DeGeneres Show has given a frank interview in which she compared working on set to 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada in which Meryl Streep plays a terrifying magazine editor
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A staffer who used to work on The Ellen DeGeneres Show has campared life on set to hit movie The Devil Wears Prada.
The former camera assistant, who has chosen to remain anonymous, spoke out on Australian radio show Stav, Abby & Matt about her time on the show.
DeGeneres has been rocked by claims of a “toxic” atmosphere onset amid allegations of bullying by staff and mean behaviour by the host.
In the interview, the anonymous worker claimed the show is similar to the set up of Meryl Streep’s 2006 film in which she played a magazine editor who terrorised her staff.
The woman told the radio hosts: “I worked there for a little over a year.
“At the show there is a culture of competition. You are constantly reminded that the show is this behemoth, and it will be there with or without you.
“It’s kind of like The Devil Wears Prada. Everyone is trying to make it to the [end of the] year.
“It’s just a badge of honor to have that and have it on your resume.”
She went on to claim the entertainment industry is “really hard” but life on the set of The Ellen DeGeneres show was tough.
The woman alleged staff were unable to ask for water on a hot day and had to clear the room if DeGeneres entered.
She went on: “It’s basic rights; being paid overtime, water on a hot day. If you ask for that, you’re told, ‘Well, there’s the door’…
“When Ellen enters the room, you and your entire crew need to leave.”
‘Sometimes her bodyguards come forward first and you kind of see them and you know to leave and that’s it.”
The Ellen scandal began after a Buzzfeed article published last month alleged that there was a “toxic work culture” behind the scenes of the show, with employees facing “racism, fear and intimidation” on set.
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After the allegations surfaced, executive producers Andy Lassner and Mary Connelly responded with a joint statement.
They said: “We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It’s not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us.
“For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better.”
Warner Bros. has launched an internal investigation into the claims made about the show, telling the publication that they “hoped to determine the validity and extent of publicly reported allegations and to understand the full breadth of the show’s day-to-day culture.”
In a memo obtained by Us Weekly on July 30, Ellen apologised to her employees on the show.
Ellen is said to have written: “On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect.
“Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.”
MirrorCeleb