Ellen DeGeneres has addressed allegations of a 'toxic environment' for people who work on her show.
In the opening monologue to the 18th season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the host apologised to anyone who was affected.
The footage, which was initially posted on YouTube and then later on Twitter, will be shown on the show when it airs this evening.
Speaking in the intro, DeGeneres said: "As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show and then there was an investigation. I learned that things happened here that never should have happened.
Advert
"I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected. I know that I'm in a position of privilege and power and I realised that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show."
She went on to say that changes have been put in place to improve the workplace environment.
She explained: "We have had a lot of conversations over the last few weeks about the show, our workplace, and what we want for the future. We have made the necessary changes and today we are starting a new chapter."
Addressing press coverage around her not being who she appeared to be on the TV, she said: "I became known as the 'be kind' lady.
Advert
"And here's how that happened: I started saying, 'be kind to one another' after a young man named Tyler Clementi took his own life after being bullied for being gay.
"I thought the world needed more kindness and it was a reminder that we all needed that, and I think we need it more than ever right now.
"Being known as the 'be kind' lady is a tricky position to be in. So let me give you some advice out there if anybody's thinking of changing their title or giving yourself a nickname, do not go with the 'be kind' lady. Don't do it.
"The truth is I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things. Sometimes I get sad, I get mad, I get anxious, I get frustrated, I get impatient, and I am working on all of that."
Advert
It's the first time DeGeneres has addressed the claims that former employees made against the executive producers on the show, accusing them of sexual misconduct, discrimination and racism.
Three of the producers in question, Kevin Leman, Ed Glavin, and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman were fired in August. Leman and Norman both denied the allegations and Glavin did not respond to a request for comment when approached by Buzzfeed News.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: TV and Film, Celebrity
