Who are the most famous sinners in history?
A Black woman who worked on the show for a year and a half said that a senior-level producer told her and another Black employee, "Oh wow, you both have box braids; I hope we don't get you confused." And at a work party, one of the main writers allegedly told her, "I'm sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here."
The sexual misconduct allegations against the show's head writer and executive producer Kevin Leman (R) are lengthy, including requesting sex from an employee, inappropriately touching more than one production assistant, and making vulgar, sexually explicit comments in the office.
When the woman tried to speak up, she was labelled the "PC Police," and when she found out a new hire was making more money for the same job, she asked for a raise and was reprimanded for it by executive producer Ed Glavin. So, she quit.
'Everybody Loves Raymond' star Brad Garrett, who appeared on 'Ellen' six times between 2004 and 2007, called the host out on Twitter. "Sorry but it comes from the top @TheEllenShow," he wrote. "Know more than one who were treated horribly by her. Common knowledge." 'Back to the Future' star Lea Thompson replied to Garrett on Twitter with, "True story. It is."
Five former staffers, all anonymous out of fear of retribution, said Glavin touched them in creepy ways, and dozens confirmed he "had a reputation for being handsy with women."
Now-infamous celebrity manager Scooter Braun came to DeGeneres' defense, writing, "People love to take shots at people. They love to see people fall," and added that the host is a "kind, thoughtful, courageous human being who stands for what is right." Interestingly, none of her other A-lister friends had come forward in July.
Executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner made a joint statement where they said they were taking the allegations seriously and were "heartbroken" to learn about the negative experiences. They took complete responsibility for the allegations, and added that they are committed to doing better.
To add insult to injury, the crew soon found out via social media that the show hired an outside, non-union tech company with the same skills they already had to help DeGeneres tape remotely from her home in California.
DeGeneres was spotted sitting and laughing with former US President George Bush at a football game in 2019, leading many to criticize the openly gay liberal for being friends with a Republican who had opposed gay marriage while in office.
While the crew was given reduced compensation, staff on other shows were still paid in full. Jimmy Kimmel, whose net worth is estimated at US$45 million, even paid his crew out of pocket. DeGeneres, meanwhile, earns more than US$50 million per year and has a reported net worth of US$330 million.
There are many other accounts of similar stories alleging that DeGeneres does not want anyone to look at her, much less talk to her.
When the talk show host joked that quarantine for her was "like being in jail," people were quick to point out that her lavish mansion was nothing like a prison, especially since real inmates were at increased risk of coronavirus.
PageSix reports that DeGeneres banned Caitlyn Jenner after she came on and said that though she's trans, she still wasn't comfortable with gay marriage because of her political and religious beliefs.
In advance of her 2018 standup special 'Relatable,' the New York Times released a profile on her called, 'Ellen DeGeneres Is Not as Nice as You Think,' in which she said she felt boxed in by her reputation for kindness and was considering leaving daytime TV.
He added in his statement, "I'm horrified that some of my attempts at humor may have caused offense."
"As we've 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," DeGeneres added, reinforcing the notion that it was all on the people who worked under her. Executive producer Ed Glavin was reportedly let go.
A source told the Daily Mail that DeGeneres allegedly "hates coming to work," but that she has been turning on the niceness for years, suggesting she has been "staying for the money and celebrity it affords her."
DeGeneres later defended her friendship with the man criticized for leading the country into war with Iraq and Afghanistan, saying "I'm friends with a lot of people who don't share the same beliefs I have."
Every time a celebrity announced their support online, they were met with a wave of backlash from people who pointed out that the matter at hand is not how celebrities are treated on the show, but rather unprivileged staffers' treatment behind the scenes.
After being called out, along with DeGeneres’ other silent friends, by Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras on August 2, Perry tweeted that, speaking solely from her own experience, she’s only had positive takeaways from the show.
Producers Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman officially left the show, while Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner remained. Leman’s attorney said he was “devastated by being scapegoated.” DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss was promoted to co-executive producer.
The comedian shared a photo from one of his visits to the show on Instagram on August 4, and wrote, “I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she's one of the dopest people on the f****** planet,” adding that she treated him and his family with love and respect, and criticizing the Internet’s addiction to negativity.
After much silence from the stars, Portia de Rossi, DeGeneres’ wife, shared a photo on Instagram on August 3 that said "I Stand By Ellen" on it. She captioned the post: "To all our fans....we see you. Thank you for your support."
Diane Keaton shared a photo on August 4 and wrote about how she enjoyed her visits to the show, and praising DeGeneres for giving back to people “including me.” Ashton Kutcher tweeted the same day that DeGeneres “never pandered to celebrity.” Jay Leno tweeted, “I don’t discard a 40-year friendship on hearsay.” Octavia Spencer posted in support but edited the caption to include that the employees must be heard.
Variety reported that the measures DeGeneres took to improve working conditions included: five additional paid days off, birthdays off, and paid time off for staffers to attend to personal matters such as family issues, doctor appointments, etc.
On an all-staff Zoom call, DeGeneres announced the staffing changes, apologizing again, and adding that she is an introvert who likes to have her own space, which may have led to staffers believing she wasn't nice.
When the show returned for season 18 on September 21, the host addressed her fans about the controversy. She apologized and took responsibility for the toxic workplace culture during her opening monologue. "We have made the necessary changes and today we are starting a new chapter," she said. The opening episode was highly viewed, but overall the show's ratings dropped following the scandal.
DeGeneres said that she had been considering the right moment to exit the show for several years, and that the decision ultimately came down to her need for a new challenge. When asked if the scandal contributed to the decision, DeGeneres said that it didn’t. She said that if she had wanted to quit the show because of the allegations, then she wouldn’t have returned for season 18.
In May, DeGeneres revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that she was planning to make season 19 of her talk show the last one.
In the same interview DeGeneres expressed the hurt and shock she felt as the allegations rolled out and the media came for her. She implied that the allegations about her behavior had been false or exaggerated. “I’m not a scary person. I’m really easy to talk to.” Many stated from the beginning that the only way for DeGeneres to heal her personal brand was to end the show. In 2024, she embarked on a farewell stand-up tour at 66 years of age, and announced her intention to retire from the entertainment industry for good.
There was once a time when Ellen DeGeneres’ brand seemed like the only reliable one out there—after all, how could you go wrong with “be kind” as your motto and huge charity giveaways as your signature move?
Unfortunately, her position as “one of the good ones” only made her fall harder when numerous claims came out from employees of ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show' in 2020 that revealed she and her eponymous show were not nearly as nice as they seemed. There were allegations of racism, bullying, sexual harassment, and assault on set, dealing a brutal blow to the host's reputation. It's widely suspected that these allegations are the real reason she decided to end the show in 2022.
Now, four years after the scandal first broke, DeGeneres has announced her retirement from Hollywood for good. She dropped the bombshell at a stand-up show in Santa Rosa, California—one of the stops on her 27-show 'Ellen’s Last Stand… Up' tour. She told the crowd that she will be stepping out of the limelight once she finishes the last shows of her tour, which will be filmed for an upcoming Netflix special. “This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done.” During a Q&A, a fan asked if she'd be returning to voice the character of Dory in the 'Finding Nemo' films, to which Degeneres replied, “No, I’m going bye-bye, remember.”
Degeneres has been addressing the accusations made against her in 2020 in her stand-up routine, claiming that she was “kicked out of show business for being mean." She defended herself, saying, “I am a strong woman. I am many things, but I am not mean.”
Click through the gallery to find out how Ellen DeGeneres' fall from grace all started.
Retirement? Ellen DeGeneres' fall from grace
The TV personality casually announced her retirement from entertainment during a stand-up show
CELEBRITY Controversy
There was once a time when Ellen DeGeneres’ brand seemed like the only reliable one out there—after all, how could you go wrong with “be kind” as your motto and huge charity giveaways as your signature move?
Unfortunately, her position as “one of the good ones” only made her fall harder when numerous claims came out from employees of ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show' in 2020 that revealed she and her eponymous show were not nearly as nice as they seemed. There were allegations of racism, bullying, sexual harassment, and assault on set, dealing a brutal blow to the host's reputation. It's widely suspected that these allegations are the real reason she decided to end the show in 2022.
Now, four years after the scandal first broke, DeGeneres has announced her retirement from Hollywood for good. She dropped the bombshell at a stand-up show in Santa Rosa, California—one of the stops on her 27-show 'Ellen’s Last Stand… Up' tour. She told the crowd that she will be stepping out of the limelight once she finishes the last shows of her tour, which will be filmed for an upcoming Netflix special. “This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done.” During a Q&A, a fan asked if she'd be returning to voice the character of Dory in the 'Finding Nemo' films, to which Degeneres replied, “No, I’m going bye-bye, remember.”
Degeneres has been addressing the accusations made against her in 2020 in her stand-up routine, claiming that she was “kicked out of show business for being mean." She defended herself, saying, “I am a strong woman. I am many things, but I am not mean.”
Click through the gallery to find out how Ellen DeGeneres' fall from grace all started.