Ellen DeGeneres Steps Out for the First Time Since Her Talk Show Came Under Fire

Ellen DeGeneres was seen taking a walk on Friday afternoon. Her syndicated talk show is the subject of controversy as multiple individuals claimed there was misconduct on the show's set.

By Cydney Contreras Aug 03, 2020 9:11 PMTags

Ellen DeGeneres is keeping her head held high as controversy continues to swirl around her talk show.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show host stepped out on Friday, July 31 to take a walk in her neighborhood by herself. She wore a low-key outfit consisting of khaki shorts, a dark tee and a white hat. An eyewitness told E! News of the sighting, "She was on a call and held the phone in front of her. It appeared to be a serious call, she looked stressed."

Photographers spotted the 62-year-old on another walk the next morning, and noted she was with a friend.

On Monday another former producer Hedda Muskat from The Ellen Show spoke out about her experience in which she felt preferential treatment was shown to male producers. She also described an alleged incident where producer Ed Glavin confronted a fellow crew member. "He just went off on them," she told The Wrap. "His whole face turned red…We were stunned. 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."

E! News reached out to Glavin for comment regarding Muskat's claims and has not heard back.

SBJ/NYP / BACKGRID

Multiple celebrities, including DeGeneres' wife, Portia De Rossi, have spoken out in support of the 62-year-old. The Arrested Development star wrote on Instagram this Monday, "To all our fans....we see you. Thank you for your support. #stopbotattacks."

She used this as a caption for an image that read, "I stand by Ellen." 

Brandi Carlile commented on the post, "Ellen has made my life so much easier for me and other #LGBTQ people. I'll never stop being grateful for that, but more importantly she's NEVER stopped making life better and easier for all kinds of people. This attack is unprecedented."

BACKGRID

Speculation about the show's cancellation or Ellen being replaced by another celebrity figure began in mid-July, when BuzzFeed News published the anonymous accounts of current and former staffers. Those individuals claimed the set of the syndicated show was a "toxic work environment." Later that month, other current and former employees came forward to share their claims of sexual misconduct

DeGeneres herself was never accused of misconduct in any form. Nonetheless, in a letter obtained by E! News, the host apologized, "On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness—no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. For that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it's the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show."

Warner Bros. also reaffirmed their commitment to determine the "appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised," in a statement shared with E! News.