Three Top Ellen DeGeneres Show Producers Fired Following Misconduct Allegations

The Ellen DeGeneres Show has fired three of its top producers in the wake of a slew of sexual harassment and misconduct allegations made against them, as well as a more general accusations of the toxic work environment that the show has fostered.

Executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman, as well as co-executive producer Jonathan Norman, have been let go, Variety reports, with a Warner Bros. spokesperson confirming that the show has “parted ways” with all three men. Their ouster comes a few weeks after Buzzfeed published a piece in which dozens of men and women claimed they’d either witnessed the producers’ behavior, or been victim of it themselves.

The news was delivered to staffers on Monday:

DeGeneres was emotional and apologetic as she addressed more than 200 staffers. According to multiple sources, DeGeneres told the staff she was “not perfect” and realized that in the effort for the show to run as a “well-oiled machine,” sometimes leaders were not as sensitive to “human beings” as they should have been. She added that reading disturbing allegations about the atmosphere on the show was “heartbreaking.”

DeGeneres even went so far as to note that the show has at times alienated staffers and even guests by shifting shooting timetables on short notice. She vowed to stick to agreed-upon timetables to make the production process smoother for all.

Buzzfeed’s account details a variety of predatory behaviors, ranging from Leman’s propositioning a staffer at a company party in 2013 and making sexually explicit comments, to Glavin, who “had a reputation for being handsy with women,” to Norman, who one employee accused of grooming him over a period of time before eventually attempting to perform oral sex on him.

During Monday’s meeting DeGeneres reportedly emphasized how proud she was of the show’s success, vowing that “This will be the best season we’ve ever had.” Okay!