Ellen's staff were left in the dark after the show shut down.
Ellen's staff were left in the dark after the show shut down.
Embattled talk-show star Ellen DeGeneres has come in for fresh criticism, this time for the way her crew have been treated since production of her hit show was suspended due to the coronavirus lockdown.
When DeGeneres began to broadcast from home, the crew were left without information on their pay and on the future of their jobs, Variety reported.
More than 30 employees received no information from producers on their hours and pay and didn't receive any inquiries on their mental health, sources told the magazine.
To add insult to injury, a non-union crew was hired to help DeGeneres film her show from inside her California home.
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Television, which distributes the show, told Variety: "Our executive producers and Telepictures are committed to taking care of our staff and crew and have made decisions first and foremost with them in mind."
The spokesperson said the crew had been regularly paid, though for reduced hours.
But for two weeks, the staff were left in the dark as to their futures, even as Ellen began to host one more show a week than previously.
The spokesperson acknowledged to Variety that their communication was lacking, but blamed the coronavirus chaos.
When DeGeneres started episodes of her show shot at home she told viewers she "wanted to start doing my new show as soon as possible", saying it was for "my staff and crew. I love them, I miss them, the best thing I can do to support them is to keep the show on the air".
But the staff, many of whom have been with the show since its inception, said they were disappointed by the lack of concern shown for their wellbeing.
This conflicted with the treatment received by some of their peers working on other shows, such as the crew of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, who were paid by Kimmel himself when production shut down.
She also found herself the subject of a viral Twitter thread that shared stories of her treatment of staff and guess, labelling her the "meanest person alive".
