WarnerMedia reportedly launches an internal investigation of Ellen DeGeneres Show's workplace

While long-running daytime talk series The Ellen DeGeneres Show has maintained a public reputation of kindness and wholesome fun, many former employees and at least one guest have come forward over the past year with claims of damaging behavior at the hands of both the show’s superstar host and her managing staff. Per an exclusive report from Variety, separate waves of complaints—which manifested largely online before Buzzfeed released an investigative report weeks ago—have led to WarnerMedia launching an internal investigation.

Variety reports that executives from producer Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television informed staffers last week that they have contacted WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third party firm that will “interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set.” Prior to the start of the pandemic, DeGeneres has weathered a significant amount of bad press, from the alleged poor treatment of guest and makeup expert Nikkie de Jager to her unsavory handling of her crew’s transition from studio to remote production, which led to the host outsourcing some of the show’s production work and leaving her loyal employees with significantly slashed incomes. Though Warner Bros. Television has not commented on the investigation, sources told Variety that the memo sourced the Buzzfeed report—which spoke of reportedly racist conduct and microaggressions lobbed by the show’s producers—as one of the major catalysts for the in-depth investigation.