The independent internal investigation commissioned by WarnerMedia after complaints about bad labor practices in The Ellen DeGeneres Show it has already had its first consequences. Three veteran producers of the show, Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman, have been fired. Other producers like Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner, and Derek Westervelt, who have been on the show since its inception in 2003, will remain in the space, as will its host, Ellen DeGeneres. The information, which advanced Variety, has been confirmed by a Warner Bros. spokesperson.
The news was communicated to the program team this Monday by DeGeneres herself in a videoconference meeting in which she acknowledged that the more than 200 workers had made mistakes and that, in an effort to make the program “a well-oiled machine,” Sometimes the leaders did not behave with “the sensitivity of a human being.” She also acknowledged that she had been hurt when reading the complaints about the bad atmosphere that is breathed within the program she presents.
Glavin, Connely and Lassner, the three producers fired, were the main recipients of the complaints that were the origin of the earthquake that the iconic American space is experiencing. In mid-July, the portal BuzzFeed published the complaints of several former workers and a current employee in which they spoke of the racist and intimidating work environment in the program. Some claimed to have been fired for asking permission to adduce the doctor or a funeral, while an African American claimed that one of the scriptwriters had said: “I’m sorry, I only know the names of the whites who work here.” All three producers had been suspended from employment since then, according to sources cited by Variety. A few weeks later, that same medium published other complaints from program workers about working conditions during the coronavirus lockdownsuch as poor internal communication or the announcement of a salary reduction despite the fact that new staff had been hired to launch the confined version of the program, broadcast from the host’s home in Los Angeles. WarnerMedia, the media conglomerate that produces the space, commissioned an independent investigation to clarify what happened.
The research, for which they have interviewed more than 100 workers and former workers of the format, has determined that there is no evidence of “systemic racism”, but it does indicate that it is necessary to make improvements in diversity and inclusion. All workers, including DeGeneres, will participate in diversity and inclusion workshops. A human resources representative and a hotline for employee complaints has also been established.
In her meeting with the team, DeGeneres also responded to comments that neither team members nor guests can address or look her in the eye if they pass her on set. She assured that it is “crazy” and that “it is not true”, although she acknowledged that it is “introverted”. In any case, she wanted to apologize to anyone who felt “ignored” for her behavior.
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