Portia de Rossi breaks silence on Ellen scandal

Days after Ellen DeGeneres addressed the allegations that there was a toxic work environment on the set of her popular daytime talk show, her wife Portia de Rossi broke her own silence on the situation by supporting her spouse on social media.“To all our fans....we see you. Thank you for your support,” de Rossi wrote on Instagram on August 3 along with an “I Stand By Ellen” graphic. The post came after some Twitter users began calling for Ellen’s cancellation after a second BuzzFeed News article surfaced in which even more former employees opened up about the sexual abuse and mistreatment they experienced while employed on the Warner Bros series. That article came on the heels of an emotional letter that DeGeneres sent staff after 10 former and one current employee spoke at length for a July 16 BuzzFeed News article.

 

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To all our fans....we see you. Thank you for your support. #stopbotattacks . #IStandWithEllenDeGeneres #IStandByEllen ‪#IstandByEllenDeGeneres ‬ . . #ellendegeneres #ellen #theellenshow #ellenshow #bekindtooneanother

A post shared by Portia de Rossi (@portiaderossi) on Aug 3, 2020 at 10:03am PDT

‬In a statement released on July 30, Warner Bros. revealed it had interviewed dozens of current and former employees and that they were “disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management.” The company also revealed that “although not all of the allegations were corroborated,” it had “identified several staffing changes, along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised, and are taking the first steps to implement them.”Although the company didn’t expand on what those changes are or can be expected, THR reported in the same article that one of the series’ three main executive producers, Ed Glavin—who was specifically named as having problematic behaviour by some of those interviewed—is on his way out the door. Meanwhile in the second BuzzFeed article, in which 36 former employees spoke out about alleged incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct, head writer and executive producer Kevin Leman specifically came under fire. In the article, former staff allege he made sexual advances on an employee at a work party, grabbed a production assistant’s penis, and groped another production assistant in a car. He was also accused of making several inappropriate comments. “It’s masked in sarcasm, but it’s not sarcasm,” a former employee told the publication. Leman has denied the claims.Following the allegations and responses, some celebrities like Brad Garrett and Lea Thompson have reinforced the claims that DeGeneres isn’t a nice person to work with, while plenty of others, like Katy Perry, Jerry O’Connell and Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun have shown their support for the host.

 

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It’s crazy to see my friend go thru what she’s going thru publicly. I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she’s one of the dopest people on the fucking planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1. The internet has become a crazy world of negativity....we are falling in love with peoples down fall. It’s honestly sad...When did we get here? I stand by the ones that I know and that I love. Looking forward to the future where we get back to loving one another....this hate shit has to stop. Hopefully it goes out of style soon....This post is not meant to disregard the feelings of others and their experiences....It’s simply to show what my experiences have been with my friend. Love you for life Ellen...

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Aug 4, 2020 at 9:48am PDT

1/2 I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow. I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought

— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) August 4, 2020

Needed to say this as I know first hand how she helps so many when we are watching and when we are not. She isn’t about what is popular she is about what is right. Sending love to Ellen today.

— Scooter Braun (@scooterbraun) July 31, 2020

 

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I have been patiently waiting for someone with more authority than me to speak up about what a great human being @theellenshow is. I have been very lucky to be on that show many times and I can tell you that it is a very well run machine, everyone was super nice, not just to me but to each other and anyone involved. I have seen Ellen act not just in her show but in public appearances in theaters where she is nice to absolutely everyone, the guy serving the coffee, the person in the elevator, the security guy and the owner of the venue. Everyone loves her because that is who she is. She makes the world a better place for millions of people everyday and we cannot hit her because something may have not been perfect. No one is perfect, and we cannot control everything. So I stand for you my friend and I challenge all the amazing people that know you and call you a friend to say who you are. The world has become a very dangerous place because it seems that we cannot make anything right. If I am going to be criticized for defending someone that I think deserves to be defended then so be it. We are all so scared to say what we really think and it seems that we are only relevant if we say whatever the trending social media topic is. So... We love Ellen right? @jenniferaniston @jlo @michelleobama @pink @seanhayes @ladygaga @oprah @katyperry @justintimberlake and whoever else should be on this list which is really long.

A post shared by Ignacio Figueras (@nachofigueras) on Aug 2, 2020 at 8:26pm PDT

Unpopular opinion: I’ve worked for @TheEllenShow as a dj, for her parties, for years and she has ALWAYS been respectful and kind to me.

— samantha ronson (@samantharonson) August 3, 2020

“Ellen has made my life so much easier for me and other LGBTQ people,” Brandi Carlile added in the comments of de Rossi’s Instagram post. “I’ll never stop being grateful for that, but more importantly she’s NEVER stopped making life better and easier for all kinds of people. This attack is unprecedented.”DeGeneres and de Rossi have been married since August 2008. They first announced their engagement on an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show following the California Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the law banning same-sex marriage. On their 10-year anniversary, the couple took to Instagram to share a video and photo montage of their wedding, which was officiated by the late philosopher and self-help guru Wayne Dyer. “This was such a special day for us,” DeGeneres wrote at the time.Following the allegations and responses, some celebrities like Brad Garrett and Lea Thompson have reinforced the claims that DeGeneres isn’t a nice person to work with. DeGeneres’ former DJ, Tony Okungbowa, also corroborated some of the BuzzFeed claims on Instagram. “I have been getting calls asking me about The Ellen DeGeneres Show and I would like to address the time I spent there,” he wrote. “I was on air talent from 2003-2006 and from 2007 -2013. While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward.”Meanwhile plenty of other celebrities, like Katy Perry, Jerry O’Connell, Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun, and comedian Kevin Hart have shown their support for the host.

 

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It’s crazy to see my friend go thru what she’s going thru publicly. I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she’s one of the dopest people on the fucking planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1. The internet has become a crazy world of negativity....we are falling in love with peoples down fall. It’s honestly sad...When did we get here? I stand by the ones that I know and that I love. Looking forward to the future where we get back to loving one another....this hate shit has to stop. Hopefully it goes out of style soon....This post is not meant to disregard the feelings of others and their experiences....It’s simply to show what my experiences have been with my friend. Love you for life Ellen...

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Aug 4, 2020 at 9:48am PDT