The Ellen DeGeneres Show has come under fire in recent weeks after several staff members revealed there was a "toxic" work culture behind the scenes.
In the explosive expose, workers claimed that they were mistreated by both producers and other staff members, citing experiences of racism and intimidation.
Since the allegations surfaced, the 62-year-old talk show host issued a grovelling apology amid news that an extensive internal investigation is underway.
A number of celebrities have also thrown their support behind Ellen, however the show has been rocked by floundering ratings since the revelations came to light.
It is, in fact, not the first time that Ellen has faced accusations over rude behaviour, and allegations of her 'mean streak' go back several years.
2016
The allegations actually hark back to 2016 after comedian Kathy Griffin wrote about Ellen in her memoir.
The comedian had starred in the sitcom Ellen in 1996 and the pair reportedly faced tension in the past.
In her memoir, Kathy wrote about a “beloved daytime talk show host” that had “a mean streak that all of Hollywood knows about”.
Kathy later confirmed that she was speaking about Ellen, and revealed to the Hollywood Reporter that she had received and angry call from the presenter.
“The only angry call I got was from Ellen DeGeneres, which is, by the way, not fun to get when you’re like, a female comic who loves her and her accomplishments,” she told the publication.
“She was extremely upset, and I think she had a thought that she was going to, like, put me in my place, or whatever, but as you know I’m not shut-uppable.”
2018
Two years later, Ellen spoke to the New York Times about her image for an article titled "Ellen DeGeneres Is Not as Nice as You Think."
"There’s been times someone wants a picture, and while I’m doing a selfie, they’re like: ‘You’re not dancing!’” Ellen said.
“Of course I’m not dancing. I’m walking down the street.”
2019
In 2019, Ellen was in hot water after she invited Kevin Hart to appear on her show just one month after he was dropped from hosting the Oscars for making homophobic comments in the past.
Ellen defended the comedian but faced a backlash particularly from members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Later that year, Ellen was also criticised after she was pictured alongside former president George W Bush at a sport game.
She responded: "People were upset. They thought, ‘Why is a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president?’
“Here’s the thing: I’m friends with George Bush. In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have. We’re all different, and I think that we’ve forgotten that that’s okay that we’re all different.”
2020
Earlier this year, comedian Kevin Porter received thousands of comments on social media after he called the presenter “one of the meanest people alive”.
In his posts, Porter asked followers to write about their experiences with Ellen.
"Right now we all need a little kindness. You know, like Ellen Degeneres always talks about! She’s also notoriously one of the meanest people alive Respond to this with the most insane stories you’ve heard about Ellen being mean & I’ll match every one w/ $2 to @LAFoodBank," he wrote.
Porter's Twitter thread went viral and he received a number of responses from followers who corroborated his accusation.
A month later, Nikkie Tutorials spoke about her experience on Ellen's show and how she was met by an 'angry and overworked intern'.
In April, Ellen also began to present her show from home amid the pandemic but caused a stir for comparing her quarantine experience to jail.
Fans of the show slammed the star for talking about her quarantine in such a way while speaking from her lavish Californian mansion.
In a pivotal moment three months later, BuzzFeed published an interview with a staff member who spoke of “racism, fear, and intimidation” behind the scenes.
On July 30, BuzzFeed released another story in which they interviewed 36 ex-employees that had worked on the show who corroborated experiences of harassment by producers and staff members.
Warner Bros. is currently in the midst of an internal investigation over the allegations.
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