DeGeneres starts new season with apology
After a summer of facing allegations that her talk show is a toxic workplace and that she is secretly a mean person, Ellen DeGeneres finally issued a public apology Monday, saying she takes responsibility for what happens on her show and vowing to do better as a boss and as a person.
“I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected,” the host said in her monologue at the start of the Season 18 premiere of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” “I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power and I realized that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.”
In July, dozens of current and former employees came forward to tell BuzzFeed News that her show’s executive producers engaged in rampant sexual misconduct and harassment. Another BuzzFeed News report detailed former employees’ accounts of racism, fear and intimidation from top managers.
One former employee specifically challenged the way DeGeneres has built her brand on projecting the image of being an affable, caring, “be kind” person. The employee echoed rumors that DeGeneres is secretly mean behind the scenes to subordinates and to anyone who is not another rich, famous celebrity.
In her monologue, DeGeneres didn’t directly deny the accusations of being mean, instead providing some context on how she came to be held to high standards for conduct. “Here’s how that happened: I started saying, ‘be kind to one another’ after a young man named Tyler Clementi took his own life after being bullied for being gay,” she said.
“I thought the world needed more kindness, anditwasareminderthat we all needed that — and I think we need it more than ever right now.” DeGeneres said, “Being known as the ‘be kind’ lady is a tricky position to be in. So let me give you some advice out there. If anybody’s thinking of changing their title or giving yourself a nickname, do not go with the ‘be kind’ lady. “The truth is I am that person that you see on TV,” DeGeneres said. “I am also a lot of other things ... I am a work in progress.”