Earlier today, we reported that Ellen DeGeneres was considering quitting and ending her talk show for good after reports of sexual misconduct among staffers behind the scenes came to light. Now, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” executive producer Andy Lassner is breaking his silence to address these rumors head-on.
US Magazine reported that Lassner took to Twitter to shoot down claims that the show is being cancelled. The 53-year-old producer posted a meme that read, “Me: I really think 2020 is gonna turn around and start getting better. 2020: Lol, I’m gonna make your bed the epicenter.”
One fan responded to this with a message of encouragement despite the claims that have been made about the show.
“I seriously wish you well,” the fan tweeted. “If the Ellen show goes off the air due to all these allegations (I, personally, have stopped watching), I hope you find employment quickly.”
“Nobody is going off the air,” Lassner replied.
This comes after numerous current and former staffers spoke out to claim that there is a culture of racism and intimidation behind the scenes of the popular talk show. This directly goes against DeGeneres’ mantra of telling people to “be kind” to one another, something she says at the end of every episode.
“That ‘be kind’ bulls–t only happens when the cameras are on. It’s all for show,” one former staffer said. “I know they give money to people and help them out, but it’s for show.”
DeGeneres apologized to her staffers in a lengthy letter on Thursday.
“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 wrote. “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.”
However, the backlash only got worse after the letter was sent, as claims of sexual misconduct came to light. Now, sources are saying that employees are terrified about the future of the show.
“Staffers are texting and calling each other freaking out as they fear Ellen will quit or that the show will be cancelled,” the insider said. “The show feels done. It’s going to be very hard to turn this around.”
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