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WarnerMedia Investigating ‘Ellen DeGeneres Show’ After Reports of Toxic Work Culture

The announcement follows accusations of racism and unfair treatment of production crews.

WarnerMedia is conducting an investigation into workplace problems at The Ellen DeGeneres Show following reports of racism and intimidation at the show. A memo sent to staffers last week revealed that a third-party group alongside WarnerMedia’s employee relations group will be interviewing staff members about their on-set experiences. A July investigation from BuzzFeed revealed accusations that members of the show’s team engaged in microagressions and joked about confusing two Black women employees. The show’s production crew reportedly were given reduced compensation and were subject to poor communication from producers at the beginning of the pandemic, according to a report from Variety. The show also reportedly hired non-union production crews to continue the show from Ellen DeGeneres’ home.