Ellen DeGeneres Scandal Hits New Level With Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Just when it seemed like life could not get any worse for talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, a barrage of former staffers came forward with allegations of gross sexual misconduct. The reports include disturbing claims against producer Kevin Leman. And could prove devastating for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, which is already under investigation for a “toxic work environment”.

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Hit With Sexual Misconduct Claims

A total of 36 former staffers spoke to BuzzFeed News for a new report on sexual misconduct allegations that have allegedly been happening on the set of the show.

You read that correctly – nearly 40 individual claims that range from groping to sexual harassment on Ellen’s daytime show.

NEW: Dozens of men and women who work for The Ellen DeGeneres Show say sexual harassment and misconduct by executive producers runs rampant behind the scenes https://t.co/0xc2eGvdV3

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) July 31, 2020

One of the people accused is Ed Glavin. He is one of the executive producers of the NBC talk show.

Former staffers said that Glavin “had a reputation for being handsy with women”, particularly in the control room. Some reports indicate that Glavin is in the process of being fired.

“You could definitely see the creep factor and the creepy touching. That was out in the open for everybody to see,” said one female former employee who alleged that Glavin often touched her inappropriately in the control room.

“Obviously, no one wants that and no one wants to be uncomfortably touched by someone … but you didn’t want to piss them off or you would be fired, so it was just that culture of fear,” she went on to add.

Glavin was also accused by 47 former employees of leading with fear and intimidation as he dictated what happened behind the scenes of the talk show.

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Ed Glavin has yet to respond to the report.

Kevin Leman Accused Of Sexual Misconduct On “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”

Another staffer who was accused was head writer and executive producer Kevin Leman.

One former employee of the show alleged that Leman demanded a hand job and oral sex from him in a bathroom during a company party back in 2013. 

One ex-staffer claimed to have witnessed the executive producer grab the penis of a production assistant. While another allegedly saw him groping another assistant.

Multiple former employees claimed that Leman would often make inappropriate sexual comments. Examples included things like commenting on male staffers’ bulges and asking if they are tops or bottoms.

“It’s masked in sarcasm, but it’s not sarcasm,” said one former employee.

“He’d probably do it in front of 10 people and they’d laugh because ‘it’s just Kevin being Kevin,’ but if you’re in a position of power at a company, you don’t just get to touch me like that,” another added.

Kevin Leman Fires Back

Leman responded to the report by denying that he ever acted inappropriately.

“I started at the Ellen Show as a PA more than 17 years ago and have devoted my career to work my way to the position I now hold,” he said in a statement. “While my job as head writer is to come up with jokes — and, during that process, we can occasionally push the envelope — I’m horrified that some of my attempts at humor may have caused offense.”

“I have always aimed to treat everyone on the staff with kindness, inclusivity and respect,” Leeman added. “In my whole time on the show, to my knowledge, I’ve never had a single HR or inter-personal complaint made about me, and I am devastated beyond belief that this kind of malicious and misleading article could be published.”

This could not come at a worse time for Ellen DeGeneres. Earlier this week, we reported that WarnerMedia launched an official investigation into claims of a “toxic workplace environment” on Ellen’s show.

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Given the new sexual misconduct claims, the future of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is looking very bleak indeed.