US talk show host Ellen has been in the news recently - but not for good reasons. Despite Ellen's mantra of 'be kind', a flurry of accusations have hit the show from former staffers, claiming general rudeness to higher-level employees engaging in sexual misconduct. Ellen herself has admitted some fault, apologising in a memo to staffers{
But it's still not looking good for Ellen. Yesterday, Tony Okungbowa, who was the resident DJ on the show, addressed the recent workplace misconduct allegations on the talk show, saying he experienced 'toxicity' on the set. He wrote: 'I have been getting calls asking me about The Ellen DeGeneres Show and I would like to address the time I spent there. I was on-air talent from 2003-2006 and from 2007-2013. 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.'
However her many, many rich and famous friends - from Katy Perry to Kevin Hart to Ashton Kutcher - have leapt to Ellen's defence, citing that their experiences with the household name have only been positive.
'It’s crazy to see my friend go through what she’s going through publicly,' Hart wrote on Instagram Tuesday. 'I’ve known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she’s one of the dopest people on the f–king planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day one.' Meanwhile, Perry tweeted, 'I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow. I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought to the world through her platform for decades. Sending you love & a hug, friend.' Kutcher's response was similar, saying him and his team had only experienced kindness.
While all of these stars think they have justified their defences by adding that they are only speaking about how they have been treated, it almost goes without saying that their experience is (obviously) going to be entirely different to those who have worked on the show. Ellen is a talk show - and without the guests, it's essentially nothing. Of course the team are going to be nice to the A list. While she might fight for equality on screen, and might be lovely to the talent, this does not mean the same happens for the show's staff who will no doubt be under a huge amount of pressure to deliver one of America's biggest programmes.
Working with celebrities for the past three years, I can confirm that they are treated - by everyone - as if they are celestial beings. Nothing they do or say is wrong, even if they are a nightmare. This is partly because you want a good interview, and partly because this is just the way it is. Treating them, or speaking to them, like you would treat anybody else is a no no. Be nice - and times that by ten. When I was working as an apprentice at a paper, I had a popstar scream at me - in front of her whole team - for not getting her a vegan croissant (even though nobody told me everything I needed to get for breakfast had to be vegan, and I'm fairly sure I couldn't have found one even if I tried). Nobody batted an eyelid.
Surely the likes of Kutcher, Perry and Hart mean well, as they want to show support for their pal - but at the same time, it shows that they do not care about the guys working behind the scenes (which, from experience, is true of a lot more 'nice' celebrities than you think).
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