'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' ending: Toxic workplace culture possible trigger?
It looks like Ellen DeGeneres is finally signing off in 2022. The TV icon has confirmed The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which debuted in 2003, will come to an end after 19 years. It comes on the heels of multiple allegations of toxic behavior on set. With this, DeGeneres is ending an incredible journey that will take her beyond 3,000 shows and 2,400 celebrity interviews.
"When we did our 3,000th show, they showed highlights montage, and everybody was emotional. We all hugged, and everyone had tears in their eyes," DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter. "I'm a creative person, and when you're a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged. And as great as this show is, and as fun, as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore."
DeGeneres had informed her staff on May 11, and will discuss this with her good friend Oprah Winfrey today on her show. To recall, when toxic behavior allegations on the sets of her show broke out, she had expressed surprise. "It broke my heart when I learned people here had anything other than a fantastic experience — that people were hurt in any way."
The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been on air for 18 glorious years (till now) and won over 60 Emmy awards. The show made DeGeneres one of the biggest stars on television, bringing her unparalleled fame. From Barack Obama to BTS, DeGeneres has interviewed many famous personalities in the world. She was also honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Obama's administration in 2016.
BuzzFeed exclusively reported that several former employees on The Ellen DeGeneres Show claimed there was a toxic work culture. They feared getting fired even for taking bereavement days to attend family funerals. One employee quit her job because she was fed up with remarks about her race. They were also told not to talk to DeGeneres if they saw her around the office.
"It destroyed me, honestly. And it makes me really sad that there's so much joy out there from negativity. I'm really easy to talk to. So, we've all learned from things that we didn't realize — or I didn't realize — were happening," she shared.
