Yikes!
The Kelly Clarkson Show has often been dubbed the new Ellen DeGeneres Show, and it turns out they may have way more in common than we ever realized…
On Friday, Rolling Stone released a scathing report alleging the daytime series led by the American Idol winner is fueled by a “toxic” workplace environment that is “traumatizing” staff.
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One current employee and 10 former staffers slammed the show in the exposé, claiming they were “overworked, underpaid,” among a list of other traumas. According to them, they were often “bullied and intimidated” by producers of the show, which negatively impacted their mental health. One former staff member said:
“I remember going up on the roof of the stage to cry, being like, ‘Oh, my gosh, what am I doing? Why am I putting myself through this?’”
Another former employee claimed they had to see a psychiatrist for the first time in their life because they “truly couldn’t handle it mentally.” Yikes. A third person called their time on the show by “far the worst experience I’ve ever had in my entire life,” noting:
“It deterred me from wanting to work in daytime ever again. When I say I was traumatized, I was really traumatized.”
JFC. What is going on behind the scenes?! For a show that seems so positive on-screen, this sounds terrible!!
Well, per these staffers, some of the problems boil down to money. They argue they weren’t paid enough — and that many had to take on extra jobs to pay their bills! Many worked as babysitters, dog walkers, and Uber Eats drivers just to live. A full time employee should not have to pick up side hustles just to survive. Sigh.
But that’s not all that’s wrong at the production. All the employees who spoke with the outlet said there’s a “monster” lurking behind the scenes of the NBC show — and this beast is the one creating so much drama! Before you get any ideas, this person is NOT Kelly! In fact, the upset staff said she was “fantastic” and that she “never treats anyone with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative.” They also don’t think she has any clue how bad things really are, the person added:
“I would be shocked if she knew. I’d be floored if she knew the staff wasn’t getting paid for two weeks of Christmas hiatus. The Kelly that I interacted with and that everyone knows would probably be pretty aghast to learn that.”
So, if the Since U Been Gone artist isn’t the one lashing out at her staff, who is? One employee argued:
“I think Alex Duda’s a monster.”
Alex Duda is an executive producer and showrunner on The Kelly Clarkson Show. She has also worked on The Tyra Banks Show, Steve Harvey, and The Talk, per IMDb, and apparently, this behavior travels with her. The employee insisted she has “done this on every show she’s worked on.”
A producer who worked with Alex claimed she allegedly “yelled and cursed at them multiple times onstage,” causing them to develop “so much anxiety” they would “regularly vomit and exhibit physical signs of sickness,” the worker noted:
“This job deteriorated my mental health.”
Another ex-employee said they felt “bullied, picked on, and put in uncomfortable positions” by Duda, including when racial issues were discussed in a meeting. The former worker, who is white, once brought up wanting to diversify Kelly’s audience, and Alex responded:
“Why don’t black people want to come to the show? Why don’t black people want to see Kelly?”
Another staffer said they once brought up race while wondering how the show planned to address the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes in the country. They were allegedly reprimanded for this. After bringing up the incident with human resources, they were then “bullied, yelled at, and left out of future meetings by the executive producers they complained about.”
Others called out an unnamed production manager for adding to the toxicity, saying the person was “verbally abusive to them and others.” A former team member revealed:
“He would speak in a way that you’re not supposed to in a professional environment — cursing, raising his voice, and throwing a huge temper tantrum.”
They continued:
“Other people who know him would laugh it off and say, ‘Oh, he’s in a bad mood,’ but it shouldn’t be laughed off. Why does he get a pass for bad behavior?”
Seven of the staff members say they shared their negative experiences with NBCUniversal in their exit interviews and one claims they received a follow-up call from HR, in which they were told the producers’ behavior was “unprofessional.” That said, the same producers were apparently then promoted, so… not much changed!
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Frustrated by this, the anonymous worker complained:
“I don’t know what HR does at that show, frankly. Nothing of consequence happened.”
Another individual said they “didn’t have the support” from HR when they “really needed” it, they noted:
“What’s the point of HR? They’re lying to you, too. They make it seem like they’re there for you, and then when push comes to shove they’re not around.”
The talk show is now drawing comparisons to Ellen DeGeneres’ long-running series, which faced similar allegations of a toxic workplace as well before its demise. An ex-staffer mused:
“All these daytime shows are supposed to make you feel good and be happy. […] Kelly [Clarkson] uses a sign-off, ‘Make it a great day, and if it’s not great, change it,’ but it’s hard to exist and work in a machine that’s pumping out this happy, bubbly, positive messaging [when] you have people here who are just treated badly.”
Another chimed in:
“People shouldn’t be treated like this. Especially when you’re working on a TV show that’s winning Emmys and bringing in millions of ad dollars.”
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for NBC told Page Six:
“We are committed to a safe and respectful work environment and take workplace complaints very seriously and to insinuate otherwise is untrue. When issues are reported they are promptly reviewed, investigated, and acted upon as appropriate. ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ strives to build a safe, respectful, and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity.”
Kelly has not commented on the matter at this time. According to Rolling Stone, the Writers Guild of America has launched an investigation into the hit series, so it seems like only a matter of time until she’ll have to address this. Reactions?
[Image via The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube]
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