Her side of the story. Samantha Ronson showed her support for Ellen DeGeneres as the comedian faces backlash for allegedly creating a toxic work environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“Unpopular opinion: I’ve worked for @TheEllenShow as a dj, for her parties, for years and she has ALWAYS been respectful and kind to me,” the British musician, 42, tweeted on Monday, August 3.
When a social media user noted that the allegations against DeGeneres, 62, demonstrate that the comedian “only shows kindness to those of a certain stature,” Ronson doubled down on her defense.
“I knew this was coming,” she responded. “But you’d be surprised by how many people are super rude when you become someone they are writing a cheque to. It’s super disappointing.”
In July, 10 former staffers and one current employee of the long-running daytime talk show came forward with accusations of a culture of fear, intimidation and mistreatment on the show’s set. Some of those who spoke out in the report, originally published by BuzzFeed News, noted that while much of the alleged problematic behavior was committed by producers and other senior staff members, they also believed DeGeneres should have stepped in to prevent it.
“That ‘be kind’ bulls–t only happens when the cameras are on. It’s all for show,” one former employee told the publication. “I know they give money to people and help them out, but it’s for show.”
Later that month, WarnerMedia announced that it would be conducting an internal investigation to address the claims made about the Ellen environment. On July 30, the Emmy winner star penned a lengthy apology to her staff in a letter obtained by Us Weekly.
“On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect,” the comedian wrote. “Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. … As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or – worse – disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me.”
Hours after DeGeneres broke her silence, executive producers Kevin Leman, Ed Glavin and Jonathan Norman were accused of sexual misconduct by 36 past employees. Both Leman and Norman denied all allegations. Glavin has yet to respond to the accusations.
While fans and staffers wonder about the future of the show, an insider told Us that DeGeneres is “more than financially secure” should she decide to step down from her daytime gig.
“Ellen has enough money to never work again. She would be fine to leave the show,” the source added, noting that the host has “never been afraid” to fire anyone. “She has enough money to live a great life.”
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