Ellen’s Celebrity Defenders Aren’t Helping Her

THE ATLANTIC

The comedian’s employees say that fame has enabled callousness and abuse on her show. The warm testimonies of her superstar friends highlight their point.

In two recent BuzzFeed articles, former and current Ellen DeGeneres Show employees describe sexual harassment by three top producers, racism against a Black staffer, and a generally abusive workplace at which, to cite one anecdote, a manager allegedly once flipped a table in rage. Two alleged sexual harassers, the producers Jonathan Norman and Kevin Leman, have denied misconduct; one, Ed Glavin, hasn’t commented on the harassment allegations and is reported to be leaving his job. WarnerMedia, the show’s parent company, has launched an investigation. And DeGeneres, in a statement to her staff, expressed regret that any behind-the-scenes mayhem happened without her knowledge, saying, “My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that.” read more »