#‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ ousts 3 top producers after ‘toxic’ workplace accusations

By Cynthia Littleton, Variety

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” has overhauled its senior production team in the wake of accusations of racial insensitivity, sexual misconduct and other problems in the work environment at the long-running daytime talk show.

The news was delivered to “Ellen” staffers Monday afternoon during a staff meeting in which DeGeneres spoke via a videoconference call.

Three senior producers — executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman — have been ousted from the Warner Bros.-distributed syndicated strip following damning allegations raised in recent reports by Buzzfeed and Variety. “Ellen” veterans Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner and Derek Westervelt will remain at the show as executive producers alongside host DeGeneres. Connelly, Lassner and Westervelt have been with the show since its inception in 2003.

Reps for Warner Bros. could not immediately be reached for comment. One source said DeGeneres was emotional in her remarks, telling staffers that what she read about the show “broke her heart.”

The departures had been expected ever since Glavin, Leman and Norman were cited in a July 30 story published by Buzzfeed about allegations of misconduct, harassment and questionable behavior on the set of the show. The trio were suspended in the wake of the Buzzfeed story and have since been terminated, multiple sources said.

Sources close to the situation said Leman and Glavin are also out as EPs on other DeGeneres-produced shows, including NBC’s “Ellen’s Game of Games.” Staffers were also told that the show has pushed back its 18th season debut by a week, to Sept. 14.

Warner Bros. initiated an investigation into the show’s culture following the Buzzfeed and Variety reports. “Ellen” has also been criticized by former and current staffers for a lack of diversity on staff overall.