Portia de Rossi Gives an Update on Ellen Degeneres

Ellen DeGeneres is “doing great,” despite the investigation into claims her talk show is a “toxic” work environment, wife Portia de Rossi told a photographer on Sunday, Aug. 9. Walking the couple’s dogs in Santa Barbara, California, de Rossi says in a video obtained by Page Six when asked of her wife, “[She’s] doing great.” The Arrested Development actress also appeared to confirm DeGeneres has no intention of stepping down from The Ellen DeGeneres Show, responding when asked if the comedian was planning to continue hosting the show, “Yes, she is.”

DeGeneres and her show first came under fire when Buzzfeed News published an investigation detailing current and former employees’ allegations of racism, fear, intimidation and sexual misconduct behind the scenes of the popular show. Since then, Warner Bros. launched an internal investigation into employees’ claims, the results of which have not been released publicly. DeGeneres addressed the investigation in a memo to her staff, saying she was unaware of what had transpired.

“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. “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.”

She continued, “My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that,” adding that as her endeavors have grown “exponentially,” she has “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 that “clearly some didn’t,” and promised that these things “will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.” Days later, de Rossi publicly supported her wife on social media, sharing an image reading “I Stand by Ellen,” which she captioned, “To all our fans….we see you. Thank you for your support.”

While petitions circulate asking that DeGeneres be replaced on her show, a production insider told Page Six last week that the production company is in a “difficult position” when it comes to DeGeneres’ contract. “This puts Warners in a difficult position contractually with Ellen — they put hundreds of millions of dollars into their deal with her. If they decide they want her out — which looks increasingly likely — this will be a big legal problem,” they explained. “Plus, she’d never leave without her reputation intact.”