‘Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Staffer Says Host ‘Giggled’ When Producer Berated Crew Member

Ellen DeGeneres has been under a lot od scrutiny lately, following allegations of a toxic environment on the set of her daytime talk show, with one former staffer recently saying that the host once “giggled” when a producer berated a crew member. Hedda Muskat, who previously worked as a producer on the show, spoke with The Wrap and claimed that she witnessed fellow producer Ed Glavin unleash a fury on the employee. “He just went off on them. His whole face turned red. We were stunned.”

Muskat went on to say, “I was waiting for Ellen to say something. ‘Whoa, Ed, don’t talk like that,’” Do you know what she did? She giggled. She crossed her legs up on the chair and she said, ‘Well, I guess every production needs their dog’ … And from then we knew. Ed was going to be the barking dog – her dog.” Muskat added, “You could just see everybody’s faces go stiff. We’re professionals; we’re adults. We don’t need a dog to get us to do our jobs… She was the only one giggling.” While DeGeneres may not have been the one to act, Muskat still holds her responsible for the situation. “Ed didn’t act independently… Ed was a bully, but he worked for Ellen. It was her show.”

Notably, Muskat was fired from the show in 2004, after it had been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. “They call me in and Ed says, ‘Congratulations on the nomination. We really appreciate what you’ve done, but we no longer need your services,’” she recalled. Muskat stated that Glavin told her they were “taking the show in a different direction.” Following the many accusations that have emerged, Glavin is reportedly resigning, but Muskat doesn’t believe that will help. “It will not make a difference. Because [Ellen] is who she is.”

In response to the many accusations the show is facing, DeGeneres released a statement that many have argued does not sufficiently take responsibility for the situation. Glavin has issued a joint statement with his other Executive producers — Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner — saying, “Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment. 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.” There are rumors that the show many come to an end, in light of the many claims, but no official statement has been made regarding the future of the show.