A former producer on Ellen DeGeneres‘ hit show is speaking out and giving more credibility to claims of a toxic work environment that existed on set.
As we’ve reported, dozens of former staffers have come forward with allegations of workplace misconduct at The Ellen DeGeneres Show via a shocking investigative piece by BuzzFeed News. The exposé then prompted an in-house investigation by WarnerMedia and up until this point, all claims have been made anonymously.
Now, one former employee named Hedda Muskat has decided to publicly share her story with TheWrap.
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In the interview, Muskat explained she was among a handful of writers and producers recruited by Andy Lassner — one of three executive producers namely accused of problematic behavior on Ellen — to flesh out the daytime talk show’s concept when it was still in development back in 2003. Muskat, who previously worked on The Howie Mandel Show and The Martin Short Show, was shocked to find such disarray at her new work environment:
“I had never seen this before. I had never been around a toxic host.”
She said even in those early days, the show exhibited a “culture of fear,” and within a year-and-a-half of joining, she claimed to have been sidelined in favor of a younger, less experienced producer before being pushed out entirely.
The producer recalled a staff meeting with DeGeneres to introduce then-new executive producers Ed Glavin and Mary Connelly — who were also explicitly named in BuzzFeed‘s report. She said that newcomer Glavin allegedly screamed at a crew member in front of the entire room and left everyone “stunned.”
“He just went off on them. His whole face turned red. … We were stunned. I was waiting for Ellen to say something. ‘Whoa, Ed, don’t talk like that.’”
Glavin was said to have used fear-based intimidation tactics at work and Muskat disagreed with the notion that Ellen was not aware of his behavior because she practically encouraged it in that particular situation:
“Do you know what she did? She giggled. She crossed her legs up on the chair and she said, ‘Well, I guess every production needs their dog’ … And from then we knew. Ed was going to be the barking dog — her dog.”
WTF?! That’s awful! A work setting like that needs professionals… not animal handlers. Echoing that sentiment, she added:
“You could just see everybody’s faces go stiff. We’re professionals; we’re adults. We don’t need a dog to get us to do our jobs … She was the only one giggling.”
Although the 62-year-old host distanced herself from the alleged abuses in her apology to staff and instead, put the onus on those she relied on to “do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done,” Muskat insisted all of their problems started at the top. Referencing their leadership team, she said:
“Ed didn’t act independently. It was Ed and Ellen and Andy and Mary. Ed was a bully, but he worked for Ellen. It was her show.”
Muskat also supported the notion there were diversity issues among their crew given the overwhelmingly white staff in those early months she worked on the show:
“I wasn’t privy to hiring decisions … [but] I was there full time for 12 months, and I did not see a diverse staff. And if I’m not seeing them there, that means they’re being shut out.”
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The former employee said once it became clear she was no longer in her boss’ good graces, she was slowly stripped of responsibilities like writing her own segments and appearing on set to greet and prepare the guests she had booked:
“One day I get called into the office. Ed says to me, ‘You know, Hedda, we’re really loving your segments. I don’t know how you do it. We’re going to need all your sources.’ … I’ve worked 18 years to build those sources. Those sources are why you hired me.”
She said from that point on, she “felt a turn, that I was really on everybody’s s**tlist” and by May 2004, she was officially let go from her job just days before their team went on to accept a Daytime Emmy Award for several segments she produced. Harsh!!!
Muskat said she could have “easily done that job for the rest of my life” had she not been pushed out for no apparent reason. Even after accepting a second Emmy trophy a year later for her work! She claimed Glavin told her they were “taking the show in a different direction” and “no longer needed” her services when they fired her.
Representatives from the Ellen show and Warner Bros. Television declined to comment on her claims and instead differed to their previously released statement on the ongoing investigation. In conclusion, Muskat told the outlet she doesn’t give much to their comments, DeGeneres’ weak apology, or their promises to do better:
“It will not make a difference. Because she is who she is.”
Phew! That’s quite a lot to take in, even considering all of the bombshell claims we’ve heard thus far. We doubt even rumored replacement host James Corden would want to get anywhere close to this dumpster fire. Reactions to this, Perezcious readers? Let us know (below) in the comments section.
[Image via WENN/Instar]
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