The Ellen DeGeneres Show has become the subject of an internal investigation by parent company WarnerMedia following numerous accounts of workplace problems on the long-running daytime series.
According to a website, executives from show producer Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television sent a memo to staffers last week saying they have engaged WBTV-owner WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third-party firm, who will interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set, said sources.
A Warner Bros. Television spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. A representative for the show did not immediately respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
The memo comes after recent unflattering reportsabout working conditions at the show. In April, the outlet reported the treatment of legacy crew members during the coronavirus lockdown.
In mid-July, BuzzFeed published a report alleging racism and intimidation on the show.
A website reported in April, about distress and outrage among the 62-year-old comedian DeGeneres’ production crew, who were subjected to poor communication and told to expect reduced compensation during initial coronavirus shutdowns — even as the series hired non-union crews to mount a quarantined production from the host’s Los Angeles home. The crew was restored to full pay prior to the publication of the outlet’s report.
At the time, a Warner Bros. spokesperson acknowledged that communication could have been better but cited complications due to the chaos caused by COVID-19.
Like all other studios, WarnerMedia has been under pressure in recent years to investigate all claims of workplace hostility in response to an increased focus on misconduct in the wake of the #MeToo movement. (ANI)