The Ellen DeGeneres Show producers accused of sexual harassment by former employees
The following article contains discussion of sexual misconduct that some readers may find upsetting.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show is at the centre of another controversy, as multiple former employees have accused three producers of sexual harassment.
As detailed by Buzzfeed News, head writer and executive producer Kevin Leman has been accused of allegedly asking an ex-employee to perform sexual acts on him at a company party as well as least two more accounts of groping production assistants.
Furthermore, the publication counts almost 12 former employees as stating that Leman would often ask junior workers sexually explicit questions in the office in front of everyone, with the employees stating that people felt unable to speak out about it.
Another executive producer, Jonathan Norman, was similarly accused of attempting to perform oral sex on an employee.
Another five employees have claimed that fellow executive producer Ed Glavin was "handsy with women", with 47 alleging that he used intimidation to keep people quiet.
At the time of writing, Glavin has not responded to the accusations, but Leman and Norman have both issued statements.
"I started at the Ellen Show as a PA more than 17 years ago," Leman said, "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.
"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."
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In Norman's statement, he said: "I have never had a single complaint against me in my career. I have never 'groomed' anyone.
"I have never done anything to harm another staff member. Ever. The person I believe you are referring to has ulterior motives for bringing down the show and has been acting with malice towards the show."
Ellen herself has not, at the time of writing, responded to these accusations.
She did make a statement about the reports of a toxic work environment prior to the latest allegations, while Telepictures and Warner Bros Television has committed to launching an official investigation regarding those claims.
Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct. If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
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