Standing by his boss. Stephen “tWitch” Boss, who joined The Ellen DeGeneres Show as the house DJ in 2014, spoke out for the first time amid claims of toxicity on the set of the talk show.
“We can’t speak too much legally about it, but I’ll say this, there’s been love,” the dancer, 37, shared exclusively with Us Weekly on Tuesday, August 11. “Obviously there’s some things to address, but from my standpoint and from countless others, there’s been love. I’ll just leave it at that until there’s a time where we can address more publicly. There’s been love and there’ll will continue to be love.”
He also noted that while he is “of course” anxious to get back to work, he will also “miss this time” at home with wife Allison Holker and their children. The pair share Maddox 4, and Zaia, 13 months. Holker, 32, also is a mom to daughter Weslie, 12, from a previous relationship.
“All this time at home, being able to be with the kids and the family and all that, it’s just like you know the day when they’re like, ‘OK, everything’s done everybody go back to work,’ I think everybody’s going to have a little bit of separation anxiety,” he explained.
The comments on come on the heels of a Buzzfeed News report in which former and current staff claimed they experienced racism and intimidation behind the scenes of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“If she wants to have her own show and have her name on the show title, she needs to be more involved to see what’s going on,” one former staffer said of Ellen DeGeneres. “I think the executive producers surround her and tell her, ‘Things are going great, everybody’s happy,’ and she just believes that, but it’s her responsibility to go beyond that.”
Some claimed that they were instructed not to speak to DeGeneres, 62, around the office. Following the report and an investigation launched by WarnerMedia, the comedian sent an apology letter to her staff.
“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,” she wrote in the memo sent on July 30. “Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.”
The Finding Dory star continued: “I’m also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop. 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.”
Former show DJ Tony Okungbowa spoke out about the recent claims via Instagram on August 4.
“I have been getting calls asking me about the Ellen Degeneres Show and I would like to address the time I spent there,” he wrote at the time. “While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward.”
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