“[T]he internal investigation comes after allegations of insensitive and racist incidents surfaced earlier this month, followed by the subsequent “canceling” of DeGeneres, 62, and her show by the Twitter-verse.” – New York Post
‘Insensitive and racist incidents surfaced earlier this month’
Jul 27, 2020
Variety – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” has become the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia following numerous accounts of workplace problems on the long-running daytime series, Variety has learned.
Executives from show producer Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television sent a memo to staffers last week saying they have engaged WBTV-owner WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third party firm, who will interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set, said sources.
A Warner Bros. Television spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. A rep for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
The memo comes on the heels of recent unflattering reports about working conditions at the show.
In April, Variety reported on the treatment of legacy crew members during the coronavirus lockdown. In mid-July, BuzzFeed published a report alleging racism and intimidation on the show.
The memo came from the desks of Telepictures executive vice president Donna Redier Linsk and WBTV vice president of human resources Donna Hancock Husband.
The name of the third party consultant was not immediately clear. Both companies underscored their commitment to providing an environment where employees can flourish, said one of the individuals familiar with the document.
BuzzFeed’s story contained a spectrum of accused racist behavior, from microagressions to jokes about mistaking two Black female employees with the same hairstyle … Read more.
