Ellen's apology letter was published hours before new allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct by key staff on her show. Photo / Getty Images
Ellen's apology letter was published hours before new allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct by key staff on her show. Photo / Getty Images
Two Hollywood stars have spoken out against Ellen DeGeneres in the wake of the allegations of misconduct behind the scenes of her talk show.
Former Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett, a frequent guest on The Ellen DeGeneres show in the past, declared that the host's "horrible" behaviour was "common knowledge".
Last week, DeGeneres penned a letter to the staff of her talk show in the wake of allegations of a toxic workplace culture.
But the letter was been slammed by many on social media, who accused Ellen of passing the buck and throwing her own staff under the bus.
"As we've grown exponentially, I've not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I'd want them done. Clearly some didn't. That will now change and I'm committed to ensuring this does not happen again," DeGeneres wrote in the letter.
She added that she's "learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop".
Sharing a new report about the letter, funnyman Garrett – who appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show at least six times between 2004 and 2007 — declared that "it comes from the top".
The next day, as Garrett's comments made headlines, another celebrity chimed in: This time, Back To The Future actress Lea Thompson. Responding on Twitter to an article titled "Brad Garrett Claims Mistreatment by Ellen DeGeneres Is 'Common Knowledge' After Host's Apology", Thompson wrote: "True story. It is."
It's unclear if Thompson has ever appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show across its 2700+ episodes — no appearances are listed on her IMDB page.
Brad Garrett and Leah Thompson. Photos / Getty Images
It's been a horror week for DeGeneres – just hours after the letter was published, dozens of former Ellen staffers spoke out in a shocking new Buzzfeed report, alleging sexual misconduct from several top producers on her show.
Many of the allegations centre upon head writer and executive producer Keith Leman, who has been accused of groping and propositioning male staff members.
Others allege they were inappropriately touched by producer Ed Glavin, who is reportedly parting ways with The Ellen Show.
The tell-all is the latest in a long line of PR disasters for Ellen, who has suffered through awkward celebrity interviews and a viral Twitter thread labelling her the "meanest person alive" this year.
Ellen has weathered a string of PR disasters of late. Photo / Getty Images
The comedian also came under fire from staff members of The Ellen DeGeneres Show for failing to communicate the status of their jobs and pay amid the coronavirus pandemic. Beauty influencer Nikkie de Jager, who appeared on her talk show in January, claimed DeGeneres was particularly "cold" and gave preferential treatment to A-list guests.
DeGeneres' alleged bad reputation was further supported by Tom Majercak, a former bodyguard who protected DeGeneres at the 2014 Oscars. In an interview with Fox News, Majercak branded the host as "sly" and "demeaning".
Perhaps the moment the tide turned for Ellen – an intensely awkward interview with actress Dakota Johnson in November last year, in which Johnson publicly called Ellen out for not coming to her birthday party.
And last week, a new horror story from here in Australia: A former Today show boss revealed what went on behind the scenes when Richard Wilkins interviewed Ellen in 2013.
