Executive producer Andy Lassner shared his thoughts on the future of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, amid the "toxic" workplace investigation. Lassner replied to a fan on Twitter who questioned if the daytime talk show would be canceled.
The Twitter user wished him well in response to another tweet, also writing that "If the Ellen show goes off the air due to all these allegations…I hope you are able to find employment quickly."
Lassner replied, "Nobody is going off the air."
Warner Bros. Television sent an internal memo last week informing staffers that WarnerMedia would be seeking the services of an independent third-party firm, which will interview current and former employees about their experiences behind the scenes on the popular daytime talk show, after one current and 10 former employees anonymously spoke with BuzzFeed News about their experience on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in an article published July 16.
A rep for the show declined to comment on the reports regarding the investigation.
No specific claims against host Ellen DeGeneres were made, however, the article said that the producers made the set a "toxic work experience" for many. Among the claims were mentions of being fired after taking medical leave or bereavement days, with others claiming they were told not to speak to DeGeneres if she was in the office.
On July 17, Lassner, along with EPs Mary Connelly and Ed Glavin, expressed their regret over the former employees' experiences in a statement released to ET.
"Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment. We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience," Lassner, Connelly and Glavin said in the joint statement. "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," the statement added. "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."
Additionally, in an internal letter sent to show staff, obtained by ET on Thursday, DeGeneres apologized and affirmed that she was committed to "having conversations about fairness and justice."
"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," DeGeneres wrote in her letter. "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."
DeGeneres said she was glad the problems had been brought to her attention and noted that she and Warner Bros. were taking steps to "correct the issues," pending the results of their internal investigation.
In a statement to ET, Warner Bros. offered more information on the internal investigation, saying that they, and DeGeneres, "take the recent allegations around the show’s workplace culture very seriously."
For more on DeGeneres' note, see below.
RELATED CONTENT:
