‘Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Loses Top Producers Amid Toxic Workplace Allegations

Changes are happening at The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Updates were delivered to staff on Monday (August 17) during an emotional and apologetic video conference call with Ellen DeGeneres.

A Warner Bros. spokeswoman confirmed that executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman, and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman, have been fired from the show following accusations of racial insensitivity, sexual misconduct, and a toxic workplace environment 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. The show’s resident DJ, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, will now serve as co-executive producer.

According to multiple sources, DeGeneres told the staff 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.”

Someone who was part of the virtual meeting tells ET that the staff seemed really hopeful after hearing DeGeneres' words, adding, "It felt like a nice page turn" and that the staff is "really hopeful and optimistic." A source says the staff is looking forward to the new premiere date on September 14.

DeGeneres is said to have vowed to meet in small groups with staffers and that the entire staff will participate in diversity and inclusion workshops once the pandemic has passed and it is safe to do so.