A former producer at The Ellen DeGeneres Show is coming forward with allegations of a “culture of fear” at the show amid an investigation into the alleged toxic work environment.
Former producer Hedda Muskat joined the show in 2003 when it was still in development and told The Wrap that there was a “culture of fear” from the very beginning.
“I had never seen this before. I had never been around a toxic host,” she said of Ellen, who has come under fire for being not as nice as the personality she portrays.
Muskat called out executive producer Ed Glavin, who has also been accused of being handsy with subordinates, and said he once screamed at a crew member during a staff meeting.
“He just went off on them. His whole face turned red. We were stunned,’ she said, adding that she was “waiting for Ellen to say something” to Glavin, but instead, the host “giggled” and “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. 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,” she said.
Muskat worked at the show for a year but said she was given fewer responsibilities and was fired in May 2004 just before winning an Emmy.
“They call me in, and Ed says, ‘Congratulations on the nomination. We really appreciate what you’ve done, but we no longer need your services,’” she said.
This is just one of the many stories that have come from former and current employees, as some say it was a well-known secret how toxic the show really is.
