In the season premiere of her eponymous talk show on Monday, Ellen DeGeneres reportedly finally addresses claims made by dozens of current and former employees that she turned a blind eye to a toxic workplace culture on her set.
In a clip making the rounds on social media, DeGeneres immediately addressed the scandal during her monologue, saying that she is a “work in progress” while also promising viewers that she is really is “that person that you see on TV.”
“As you may have heard this summer, there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show and then there was an investigation. I learned that things happened here that never should’ve happened,” DeGeneres said. “I take that very seriously, and I want to say I’m so sorry to the people who were affected.”
She went on to say that she realizes that her celebrity has elevated her to a position of “power” and said that she should’ve been more aware of what was going on behind the scenes.
“I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power, and I realize that with that comes with responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show,” DeGeneres added. “This is ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ I am Ellen DeGeneres.”
She also addressed the firings of her show’s executive producers Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman.
“We have had a lot of conversations over the last few weeks about the show, our workplace and what we want for the future,” DeGeneres said. “We have made the necessary changes [1] and today we are starting a new chapter.”
DeGeneres then addressed her “be kind” mantra, urging her viewers not to choose the nickname as a reputation if they can avoid it. While she stands by the fact that she really is “kind,” she said she has many other emotions as well.
“The truth is I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things,” she said. “Sometimes I get sad, I get mad, I get anxious, I get frustrated, I get impatient, and I am working on all of that.”
“I am a work in progress. I am especially working on the impatience thing, and it’s not going well because it’s not happening fast enough, I will tell you that,” DeGeneres added.
Today we’re starting a new chapter. pic.twitter.com/PvpZXnXLv5 [2]
— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) September 21, 2020 [3]
Though the host said she is a “pretty good actress,” having played a “straight woman in movies,” she joked that she isn’t good enough to “fool” everyone every single day for 17 years.
“This is me, and my intention is to always be the best person I can be,” DeGeneres said. “If I ever let someone down, if I ever hurt their feelings, I am so sorry for that. If that’s ever the case, I let myself down and I hurt myself as well.”
She concluded her monologue by saying that she hopes her show can still serve as a one-hour distraction.
“My hope is that we can still be a place of happiness and joy,” DeGeneres said. “I’m committed to making this the best season that we have ever had.”
This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com [4] and is used by permission.
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