Ellen DeGeneres: Portia de Rossi asks followers to ‘be kind’ amid talk show controversy

Actor Portia de Rossi has defended her wife, Ellen DeGeneres, amid allegations of bullying and harassment behind-the-scenes on the TV host’s popular show.

In July, Warner Bros launched an internal investigation after a number of former employees claimed they were bullied and sexually harassed while working on the show.

A Buzzfeed report quoted 10 workers who came forward to describe the alleged “toxic” work environment and make accusations against specific producers.

DeGeneres, who was not personally accused of mistreating staff, issued an apology to staff and said she took “full responsibility”, as her name is the show’s brand.

“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 said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“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.”

De Rossi has since encouraged her followers to “be kind to one another”, as more people come forward to detail their experiences with DeGeneres.

Sharing a poster that reads, “I stand by Ellen”, she added in the caption: “To all our fans… we see you. Thank you for your support. #stopbotattacks. #IStandWithEllenDeGeneres #IStandByEllen #IstandByEllenDeGeneres.”

Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett recently claimed he knew “more than one person” who had been mistreated on The Ellen Show.

“Sorry but it comes from the top @TheEllenShow,” he tweeted. “Know more than one who were treated horribly by her. Common knowledge.”

On Sunday 2 August, an Australian radio host alleged that DeGeneres’s team had instructed him not to look at her during an interview on the Today show, which he executive produced at the time.

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