FOX via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Three senior producers accused of creating a toxic work environment behind the scenes of Ellen Degeneres’ long-running daytime talk show, were fired on Monday, according to Variety.
During an emotional videoconference with the show’s staff, Degeneres announced that executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman, and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman, were ousted from the show in the wake of a damning Buzzfeed article alleging racial insensitivity, sexual misconduct and other problems at the show.
Leman and Glavin have also reportedly been removed as EPs on other DeGeneres-produced shows, including NBC’s Ellen’s Game of Games.
Ellen veterans Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner and Derek Westervelt, who have been with the show since its inception in 2003, will remain as executive producers alongside DeGeneres.
Sources tell industry trade that DeGeneres apologized to the staff, saying she was “not perfect” and realized that in the effort for the show to run as a “well-oiled machine,” sometimes leaders were not as sensitive to “human beings” as they should have been. She added that reading disturbing allegations about the atmosphere on the show was “heartbreaking.”
At the same meeting, Connelly and Lassner revealed that an internal investigation launched by WarnerMedia, in which more than 100 people connected with the show were interviewed, found no evidence of “systemic” racism on the show, although they admitted that more needed to be done in terms of diversity and inclusion, according to Variety.
Additionally, DeGeneres and others vowed that the entire staff — including DeGeneres herself — will participate in diversity and inclusion workshops.
Degeneres also announced that the show’s resident DJ, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, was promoted to co-executive producer.
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