‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Investigation: All the Latest Updates

The Ellen DeGeneres Show finds itself under some serious heat after allegations emerged about what was going on behind the scenes of the show. The accusations have been so strong that even the leading lady, Ellen DeGeneres, reportedly wants out of her program after feeling “betrayed” by what was reported.

Under investigation by WarnerMedia, several former employees voiced their concerns over the workplace environment. A story by Buzzfeed brought to light the stories of one current and 10 former employees and how they saw a toxic atmosphere while on set, including some racism. In the wake of all that came out, one of the show’s executive producers, Ed Glavin, is expected to walk away from the show. Each passing day brings to light more news and information about all that is going on and has gone on behind closed doors of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Here is a catch-up of some of the latest developments, which include a statement by DeGeneres’ wife, Portia de Rossi, as well as an update on the potential replacement of DeGeneres if she does walk away from the show.

DeGeneres’ Wife Breaks Her Silence

Portia de Rossi had remained silent since the Buzzfeed article first came to light. She finally broke her silence on Monday by sharing a photo on her Instagram of an image that reads, “I stand with Ellen.” She didn’t speak too much on the subject in the caption, writing, “To all our fans….we see you. Thank you for your support.” Her and DeGeneres tied the knot back in 2008 after the Ally McBeal star had ended her prior marriage in 1999. 

While her statement wasn’t much, her spouse’s remarks carried a bit more weight. DeGeneres issued an apology, saying that she had intended from the beginning that this show would be “a place of happiness” but has since become “disappointed” that her goal has not been met. She said “I am sorry” for all that reportedly went on, noting that this is the “opposite of what I believe and I hoped for our show.”

James Corden is Not in the Running

With DeGeneres claiming she is ready to leave the show amid the allegations, rumors began to run wild about who would replace her. Reports suggested that NBC had pegged James Corden, the host of the The Late Late Show, as the popular choice, but that may not be the case. 

The Daily Mail shared that a source believes this is not true at all and that Corden is “not under consideration.” Instead, the source claims to have heard that Sean Hayes, Melissa McCarthy, Kristin Bell and Jennifer Aniston are among the names to watch out for if the talk show host leaves her mantle. There have no official reports about who would replace DeGeneres. 

Not Standing Up for a Staffer

With more and more allegations coming out, one of the latest sees a former staffer claim that DeGeneres did not take action when witnessing executive producer Ed Glavin berating the employee. In fact, the source claims that the host just “giggled” while watching the whole thing unfold. The Wrap was the outlet to share this tidbit, noting that the source was astonished to see DeGeneres not take any measure to defend the staffer, “And from then we knew. Ed was going to be the barking dog – her dog.” The same account recalls the host was the only one to view the matter in that light as others in the vicinity were bothered by what had happened between Glavin and the worker. 

A ‘Toxic Host’

Another claim that recently rolled in was a former producer calling DeGeneres a “toxic host.” This has proved to be the first source to make their name public, however, as Hedda Muskat, went on to speak about the “culture of fear” that was instilled upon the set. She recalled another moment in which Glavin overstepped his boundaries, “His whole face turned red.” Muskat noted that this was something “never seen before” while on set. Muskat had joined the show back in 2003. 

Always Praise Ellen

Page Six reported that guests on The Ellen DeGeneres Show were told to remember to give the host plenty of complements while on camera. The source that spoke with the outlet said it was off-putting having someone tell guests to go out of their way to pour on the praise. In the story, the unnamed guest recalled the producer saying, “Compliment Ellen, tell her what a big fan you are.” This, according to another guest whose identity was kept anonymous, was a “really weird” thing to be told. 

The article notes that it was not believed that DeGeneres has any doing in ordering her producers to ensure her guests followed this protocol. This remains just another strange story to roll out over the past few days about what went on on the set of the daytime talk show. 

Glavin Steps Away

With all of the allegations, one common name that found himself in the center of some of the more controversial stories was executive producer Ed Glavin. From getting red in the face berating an employee to sexual harassment claims, Glavin is said to be among the staffers expected to be fired following WarnerMedia’s investigation. In that Buzzfeed story, some of the anonymous sources said Glavin was known have “had a reputation for being handsy with women.” Along with Glavin, Kevin Leman was another producer who found himself with claims of sexual harassment coming his way. It’s not known what his fate will be but it can be expected that he will follow suit with Glavin after the investigation gets wrapped up. 

Leaving Would be Complicated

While DeGeneres went on to say she would walk away from the show due to her disappointment to the allegations, it turns out it won’t be easy for the network and her to simply split from each other. Page Six shared that an insider told them all of what has happened puts WarnerMedia “in a difficult position contractually.” The source goes on to say that if the network decides to move on from DeGeneres, a move that appears to be gaining some steam with her statement and all that has come out, it would prove to be a nightmare for their legal team due to the “hundreds of millions of dollars” that go into her deal. In addition to that, there’s the issue of finding a replacement, which won’t be easy especially during the coronavirus pandemic, and the fact that DeGeneres would want a clean break and to have her reputation not tarnished after the allegations came out.