Ellen DeGeneres addresses staff after abuse allegations
Ellen DeGeneres has apologized to her staff regarding abuse allegations some of her self-titled show's staff vented to Buzzfeed earlier this month.
In a letter, obtained by ABC News, DeGeneres wrote that she was "disappointed" to learn that her set was not the "place of happiness" she intended it to be, and vowed to "do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow."
While several high-ranking producers on the show were named in the complaints, DeGeneres herself was not. That doesn't absolve her, she added, as the show bears her name.
"As we've grown exponentially, I've not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I'd want them done," DeGeneres wrote. "Clearly some didn't. That will now change and I'm committed to ensuring this does not happen again."
Warner Bros., the production company behind "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" released a statement to ABC News on Thursday, noting that after interviewing dozens of current and former employees, it was determined that there were "some deficiencies related to the show's day-to-day management." However, the company added, "not all of the allegations were corroborated."
"We have identified several staffing changes, along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised, and are taking the first steps to implement them," the statement read. "Warner Bros. and Ellen DeGeneres are all committed to ensuring a workplace based on respect and inclusion. We are confident this course of action will lead us to the right way forward for the show."
In the Buzzfeed article, executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner said that they took the claims made against the show "very seriously" and added, "We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience."
"It's not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us," they continued.
For her part, DeGeneres' said she was "glad" that the issues were brought to her attention.
"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," she wrote. "It's been way too long, but we're finally having conversations about fairness and justice. We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others."
