Ellen DeGeneres Show Producer Speaks Out Following Toxic Workplace Allegations
Paul Dailly
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The future of The Ellen DeGeneres show remains in doubt following the stunning wave of allegations surrounding the daytime talker.
Executive producer Andy Lassner has spoke out for the first time since the allegations came to light. It all started when he returned to Instagram with a video of himself talking directly to the camera.
"Oh, look who it is. If it isn't Andy Lassner. Well, yes it is. Your eyes do not deceive you," he began in a bizarre video.
"I'm back. I've been away for a little bit dealing with, you know, some stuff. You may have read about it."
"It's been a couple of rough months," added Lassner.
"But it's when we go through these things, I guess, when we learn the most about ourselves, and maybe even some growth.
"But to tell you it hasn't been rough would be a lie, and I've always been honest with you. It's been rough. But I'm back."
If you thought he delved in deeper into the drama behind the scenes, then we have some bad news.
"I love you guys; I miss you and I'll talk to you soon," he concluded.
Lassner managed to avoid getting the boot from the series amid the allegations that could result in the series getting canceled.
Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman, and Jonathan Norman were officially fired last mpnth after being accused of treating staffers in a terrible way.
Accusations against the show's executives included racial insensitivity, as well as sexual misconduct, making it sound like the show is completely different to the values Ellen seemingly boasts about on-camera.
DeGeneres conceded that she "wasn't perfect," in a recent video chat with the staff.
"I’m a multi-layered person, and I try to be the best person I can be and I try to learn from my mistakes,” she said, according to People.
“I’m hearing that some people felt that I wasn’t kind or too short with them, or too impatient. I apologize to anybody if I’ve hurt your feelings in any way.”
In the aftermath of the allegations from BuzzFeed and Variety coming to light, DeGeneres did release a memo to her staff.
"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 began.
"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 said she wanted to make things right, and it appears the wave of firings was just the tip of the iceberg.
Staffers have been given better perks for working on the show in recent weeks, but there's still no telling how long the show will last.
It has already been pulled off the air in Australia and replaced with encores of Desperate Housewives.
For now, the show is set to return in the U.S. on September 9, but will it last for long?
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
