Brad Garrett's Comments About Ellen Are Very Revealing

On her eponymous talk show, Ellen DeGeneres encourages her viewers to "be kind." However, there's been ongoing speculation that DeGeneres is not as nice when the cameras aren't rolling. In July 2020, BuzzFeed News published an exposé about the talk show's toxic workplace behind the scenes, sharing anecdotes from 10 former employees and one current employee, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid repercussions from speaking out about their experiences.

One person claimed to the outlet, "That 'be kind' bulls**t only happens when the cameras are on. It's all for show." Others alleged they were fired for taking medical leave or attending funerals. One employee claimed there were comments about her race from The Ellen DeGeneres Show executive producers, with one former staffer remarking DeGeneres "really needs to take more responsibility" for the way people are treated at work.

Executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner told BuzzFeed, "We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It's not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us." They added, "For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us." 

However, Everybody Loves Raymond actor Brad Garrett puts the blame on DeGeneres herself, tweeting in late July 2020, "Sorry but it comes from the top ⁦@TheEllenShow Know more than one who were treated horribly by her.⁩ Common knowledge." Garrett is far from the first to call out DeGeneres.

In late July 2020, The Hollywood Reporter obtained a letter that Ellen DeGeneres sent to The Ellen DeGeneres Show staff members, addressing the recent allegations about the talk show. DeGeneres reportedly wrote, "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. 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."

The host said, "My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that. Alongside Warner Bros, we immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues." She also admitted because the show has "grown exponentially," she hasn't been able to "stay on top of everything" as much as she'd like and they're now "committed to ensuring this does not happen again."

DeGeneres wrote, "I'm also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop." While DeGeneres insists that her employees "misrepresent" who she truly is, her former bodyguard probably isn't buying that claim, based on his difficult experience with her, which he previously opened up about.

In the letter that Ellen DeGeneres reportedly sent to her staff, she attributed the toxic work culture to senior employees, but her former bodyguard Tom Majercak claims he was treated poorly by DeGeneres herself. When DeGeneres hosted the 2014 Oscars, Majercak was a bodyguard for the star, her wife Portia De Rossi, and DeGeneres' mother. In a May 2020 Fox News interview, Majercak claimed, "Ellen is the one person that I've been assigned to — and I've been assigned to quite a few celebrities — that has never taken the time to say hi to me." In contrast, he said De Rossi was "very pleasant and carried on a conversation."

Majercak recalled, "It started going negatively when [De Rossi] introduced me to Ellen and Ellen pretty much just gave me a side glance out of her eye and didn't even say 'hello,' or 'thank you for protecting my mother, my wife and me.'" He called the interaction "very cold" and "very sly," saying that the way DeGeneres treated people "was actually kind of demeaning."

He also admitted, "It's bugged me for years. I see this person come across as being very enlightened and positive and awesome and everybody loves her and is in awe and that's really not the case when you meet her in person." DeGeneres' representative did not comment on those claims. Even so, it doesn't seem like this story is over, since even more people are sharing stories of their experiences with her.