The Ellen DeGeneres Show faces another controversy after some employees bare that "sexual harassment and misconduct" are rampantly happening behind the scenes. Former staff members accused the show's top executive producers of being "handsy" to women, delivering "sexually explicit comments," and more behind the camera.
In a BuzzFeed News report, an ex-employee revealed the show's head writer and executive producer Kevin Leman asked him if he could give him a handjob or perform oral sex in a bathroom. This, allegedly, happened at a company party in 2013.
Another staffer, reportedly, saw Leman grab a production assistant's private part. In 2017, a different former employee said to witnessed how Leman groped a production assistant while in a car and kissed his neck.
A bunch of former workers, from senior-level employees to production assistants, swore it was common for Leman to deliver "sexually explicit comments" in the office. He would usually point out male workmates' "bulges in their crotches" and ask inappropriate questions if they were "a top or a bottom."
An ex-colleague said that although his remarks were masked in sarcasm, they knew it was not merely mockery. Allegedly, Leman targeted employees who were lower-level and younger, who might have felt powerless to speak up.
Leman would make his double-meaning jokes in front of ten people, and they would simply laugh about it, thinking he was just being himself. However, as someone like him who had the position and power in the company, the former staff said he knew they could not just touch him like that.
Us Weekly added executive producer Ed Glavin also had a reputation of being "handsy with women." A total of 47 former employees revealed that he managed his people through "fear and intimidation" every day. Glavin denied to address the issue publicly, but Variety reported that he would leave his role imminently.
In addition, another former staff member accused co-executive producer Jonathan Norman of trying to perform oral sex on him. However, Norman denied the accusation, insisting he had never harmed any The Ellen DeGeneres Show employees. He even alleged that the former staffers have a motive to bring the show down.
Some of them believe Ellen DeGeneres has nothing to do with the accusations. The 62-year-old host may not be even aware of what is happening on the show behind the scenes. But, others suggest that she is only turning a blind eye.
