Many around Hollywood and social media have had mixed responses to the controversy that is still surrounding The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Following a number of allegations aimed at the culture of her show, DeGeneres has had her share of detractors. However, there have been a number of fans and celebrities who have come to her defense. Now, fellow comedian and former host Rosie O’Donnell is speaking out on the situation, and she appears to have compassion for DeGeneres.
Rosie O’Donnell recently revealed that she had never appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show because of the host’s tendency to scare her guests. However, during her appearance on the Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best podcast, O’Donnell would later say that as a host, one can’t fake their essence, which is why she has compassion for Ellen DeGeneres:
You can't fake your essence. That's why I have compassion for Ellen [DeGeneres], right? I have compassion, even though, you know, I hear the stories and I understand. I think she has some social awkwardness.
As previously mentioned, Rosie O’Donnell is far from the first celebrity to speak positively of Ellen DeGeneres. Since her show first came under fire over allegations of a toxic work culture and sexual misconduct from producers, stars like Kevin Hart and Katy Perry have defended her. When an interview surfaced in which DeGeneres appeared to be making inappropriate jokes about Sofia Vergara, the actress also defended the host. DeGeneres has also received familial support through her wife and brother.
Conversely, the behind-the-scenes claims have been corroborated by celebrities. Brad Garrett and Lea Thompson were among those who claimed to have known what was transpiring. At one point, a number of fans across social media were also calling for DeGeneres to be replaced as the host of the show.
WarnerMedia launched a third-party investigation into the show following the claims from former and current employees. Since then, several top producers have been fired from the program. DeGeneres also issued an apology to her staff and has upped the benefits for her employees.
Ellen DeGeneres previously issued a statement on the situation in which she promised to create positive change for the show moving forward. She most recently stated that her next move will be to directly communicate with her fans.
While the current status of the investigation is unclear, one Ellen producer stated early on that the show would not be cancelled. WarnerMedia head Jason Kilar has also stated that the company is fully supportive of DeGeneres.
Before this controversy began, The Ellen DeGeneres Show was filming remote episodes, just as many other talk shows were at the time. The current timeline for the show’s return to the studio is currently unknown.
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