Ellen DeGeneres Show producers accused of sexual harassment by former employees

Dozens of former staffers on The Ellen DeGeneres Show are speaking out about the culture of sexual harassment and misconduct at the daytime talk show. In a new report from BuzzFeed News — published just hours after Ellen DeGeneres issued a letter to staff apologizing for the show’s toxic workplace culture — ex-employees allege that multiple executive producers engaged in sexual harassment and misconduct with low-level employees. Staffers claim that one producer “had a reputation for being handsy with women,” while another asked to receive oral sex at a company party.

According to BuzzFeed News, which spoke to 36 former Ellen Show employees, multiple staffers allege that head writer and executive producer Kevin Leman has a pattern of harassing and abusing low-level employees. One ex-employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution claims that Leman solicited a hand job and oral sex at a work party in 2013. In two independent incidents, staffers also claim that they saw Leman grab a production assistant’s penis and grope a PA in a car.

Former Ellen staffers allege that Leman was also known for making sexually explicit comments to coworkers, including asking male colleagues, “Are you a top or bottom?” and pointing out bulges in their pants.

“It’s masked in sarcasm, but it’s not sarcasm,” a former employee told BuzzFeed. “He’d probably do it in front of 10 people and they’d laugh because ‘It’s just Kevin being Kevin,’ but if you’re in a position of power at a company, you don’t just get to touch me like that,” added another.

In a statement provided to BuzzFeed, Leman denied allegations of “sexual impropriety” and abuse.

“I started at the Ellen Show as a PA more than 17 years ago and have devoted my career to work my way to the position I now hold. While my job as head writer is to come up with jokes — and, during that process, we can occasionally push the envelope — I’m horrified that some of my attempts at humor may have caused offense,” he said. “I have always aimed to treat everyone on the staff with kindness, inclusivity and respect. In my whole time on the show, to my knowledge, I’ve never had a single HR or inter-personal complaint made about me, and I am devastated beyond belief that this kind of malicious and misleading article could be published.”

Ex-staffers also allege that executive producer Ed Glavin touched them inappropriately on set, particularly in the control room. “You could definitely see the creep factor and the creepy touching. That was out in the open for everybody to see,” said one former Ellen employee who claimed that Glavin regularly acted inappropriately towards her. “Obviously, no one wants that and no one wants to be uncomfortably touched by someone … but you didn’t want to piss them off or you would be fired, so it was just that culture of fear.” (Glavin has yet to address the allegations).

Employees added that Glavin created a culture of intimidation and fear among lower-level employees, many of whom reported that the EP had a button at his desk that would shut his office door behind them. “It seemed like a power move, more than anything,” said one employee.

BuzzFeed News’ bombshell report comes as The Ellen DeGeneres Show faces renewed scrutiny over its toxic behind-the-scenes culture. In a letter sent to employees and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, DeGeneres apologized for allowing a harmful environment to develop.

“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.”

In a statement issued Thursday, Warner Bros. said that following its internal investigation into the workplace misconduct allegations, they undergoing “several staffing changes.” Variety reports that Ed Glavin has been fired, but as of Friday morning, Leman remains with the show.

According to the ex-staffers that spoke with BuzzFeed, executive producers attempted to “insulate” DeGeneres from allegations of impropriety and the tense environment on set. In her letter to staff, the host suggested that she was unaware of such allegations, but former employees say that is unlikely. “For someone who’s so involved in the show and the creative aspect, and having been in those meetings with her, it’s very hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that she doesn’t hear the same whispers,” said a former staffer who worked closely with DeGeneres. “Unless she really is just in this bubble.”

“She knows,” added another ex-staffer. “She knows shit goes on, but also she doesn’t want to hear it.”