Celebrities are making their loyalties known as The Ellen DeGeneres Show continues to make headlines.
Katy Perry, Diane Keaton and more figures from the world of Hollywood are the latest stars to voice their support for Ellen DeGeneres. The A-listers made reference to their past interactions with the TV show host, describing her as a kind person.
However, Tony Okungbowa, who was the DJ for the syndicated talk show for numerous years, said that he could attest to the "toxicity" former and current staff members previously described. "While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward," he wrote on Instagram.
Bigger names like NikkieTutorials have shared their opinion of the talk show in the past.
To see who has addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding The Ellen DeGeneres Show, keep reading.
"Sending love and support to Ellen and all of the employees of her show. All of my interactions with everyone from the show including ELLEN were supportive and fun! In that spirit I am praying all involved get the love and support they need," the actress wrote on Instagram, later updating her caption, "...lively debate happening in the comments. I welcome that. I also believe that all of the voices of her employees need to be heard. Past and present. Speaking truth to power is the only way change happens. My truth is everyone was kind to me. From the PAs to the producers. So yeah! I want all of those people to feel valued and heard. And no, people are NOT always kind to talent!"
When asked by The Los Angeles Times to address the internet's reaction to her support for Ellen, she said, "I started that tweet off not undermining anyone else's experience. I wanted to only speak from my own experience. I have over 100 million people that follow me on Twitter, so not everyone is going to agree with me. And I'm not here to make everyone agree with me."
The Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ told E! News exclusively about his experience on the show, "You know, there hasn't been too many gigs where you feel it every day and build a genuine love from front to back. And the audience, being so happy to be there and ready to dance and ready to laugh and have a good time."
"I haven't spoken with @TheEllenShow and can only speak from my own experience," the actor tweeted. "She & her team have only treated me & my team w/ respect & kindness. She never pandered to celebrity which I always saw as a refreshing honesty. When things aren't right she handles it and fixes."
When someone replied, "Oh she treats billionaire A list guests well? You don't say," Kutcher wrote back, "1. I'm not a billionaire. 2. it extends to my team and people she didn't even know I work with."
"I know I can't speak for anyone else's experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow," the singer tweeted. "I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought to the world through her platform for decades. Sending you love & a hug, friend @TheEllenShow."
"It's crazy to see my friend go thru what she's going thru publicly," the comedian shared on social media. "I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she's one of the dopest people on the fucking planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1. The internet has become a crazy world of negativity....we are falling in love with peoples down fall. It's honestly sad...When did we get here? I stand by the ones that I know and that I love. Looking forward to the future where we get back to loving one another....this hate shit has to stop. Hopefully it goes out of style soon....This post is not meant to disregard the feelings of others and their experiences....It's simply to show what my experiences have been with my friend. Love you for life Ellen..."
"Hey Guys, I hope you are all keeping safe out there during these trying times," the DJ wrote on Instagram. "I have been getting calls asking me about the Ellen Degeneres Show and I would like to address the time I spent there. I was on air talent from 2003-2006 and from 2007 -2013. While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward."
On her Instagram, the Annie Hall actress shared, "I ALWAYS ENJOYED MY VISITS TO THE ELLEN SHOW. I'VE SEEN HOW THE AUDIENCE EXUDES HAPPINESS AND GRATITUDE. SHE GIVES BACK TO SO MANY INCLUDING ME."
"Sorry but it comes from the top @TheEllenShow Know more than one who were treated horribly by her," the Everybody Loves Raymond star tweeted.
"People love to take shots at people. They love to see people fall. How quickly so many forget. @TheEllenShow is a kind, thoughtful, courageous human being who stands for what is right and highlights on her show the best of us. She has helped change the views for equality," Justin Bieber's manager tweeted. "Needed to say this as I know first hand how she helps so many when we are watching and when we are not. She isn't about what is popular she is about what is right. Sending love to Ellen today."
"I have been patiently waiting for someone with more authority than me to speak up about what a great human being @theellenshow is. I have been very lucky to be on that show many times and I can tell you that it is a very well run machine, everyone was super nice, not just to me but to each other and anyone involved," the polo player stated on Instagram. "I have seen Ellen act not just in her show but in public appearances in theaters where she is nice to absolutely everyone, the guy serving the coffee, the person in the elevator, the security guy and the owner of the venue."
He continued, "Everyone loves her because that is who she is. She makes the world a better place for millions of people everyday and we cannot hit her because something may have not been perfect. No one is perfect, and we cannot control everything."
"So I stand for you my friend and I challenge all the amazing people that know you and call you a friend to say who you are. The world has become a very dangerous place because it seems that we cannot make anything right. If I am going to be criticized for defending someone that I think deserves to be defended then so be it. We are all so scared to say what we really think and it seems that we are only relevant if we say whatever the trending social media topic is. So... We love Ellen right?" he concluded.
The actor posted the "I Stand With Ellen" picture with the caption, "Love @TheEllenShow & @portiaderossi Always have. Always will."
"To all our fans....we see you. Thank you for your support. #stopbotattacks," the Arrested Development captioned an "I Stand With Ellen" quote card.
The Australian radio host detailed his alleged experience with DeGeneres and her producers in a recent segment of his show. He described the encounter as "bizarre," adding, "I'm not blaming Ellen, because I didn't get to talk to her, because I wasn't allowed to. So I don't know whether she's a nice person or not. I wouldn't have a clue. But I can tell you the people who worked with her walked on eggshells the whole time."
"Unpopular opinion: I've worked for @TheEllenShow as a DJ, for her parties, for years and she has ALWAYS been respectful and kind to me," the artist tweeted.
"Call me naive, but I kind of expected to be welcomed with confetti cannons: 'Welcome to The Ellen DeGeneres Show!' But instead I was greeted by an angry intern who was a bit overworked," the makeup artist said about her experience on the show. "I was expecting a Disney show, but got Teletubbies after dark."
(This story was originally published on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 5:19 p.m. PST)