Ellen DeGeneres is under fire once more, and it seems that her apology will not change any minds.
For the past weeks, Ellen has been going through a massive PR nightmare after several staff members of her hit show The Ellen DeGeneres Show accused her of having a “toxic culture.”
Ellen put out a lengthy apology that read: “Hey everybody — it’s Ellen. 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.”
She went on to say: “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. Alongside Warner Bros, we immediately began an internal investigation, and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues. I’m also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am, and that has to stop. As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or – worse – disregarded. To think that anyone of you felt that way is awful to me.”
She concluded by: “It’s been way too long, but we’re finally having conversations about fairness and justice. We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others, and I’m glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention. I promise to do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow. I want everyone at home to love our show, and I want everyone who makes it to love working on it. Again, I’m so sorry to anyone who didn’t have that experience. If not for COVID, I’d have done this in person, and I can’t wait to be back on our stage and see you all then. Stay safe and healthy. Love, Ellen”
Just hours after Ellen apologized, another story broke in BuzzFeed, and 36 former employees claimed sexual misconduct and harassment took place on the show.