Warner Bros. executives recently weighed in on the claims that there’s a toxic work environment and unacceptable behavior on Ellen Show and TMZ’s newsroom.
WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said that he’s concerned and disappointed by the recent reports that he received about Ellen Show and TMZ.
“I am both concerned and disappointed by public reports regarding patterns of unacceptable behavior that have been raised in recent weeks,” he said (via BuzzFeed News).
Kilar also said that it will be a requirement for all existing and prospective partners to treat everyone with respect and dignity.
“Our intention is to sever ties where patterns of behavior are at odds with that requirement,” he said.
Exec speaks up on ‘Ellen Show, TMZ issues
Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff also weighed in on the allegations in her memo. She said that she will be holding the studios and network HR and legal teams responsible to act on any issue that’s brought to their attention.
“These groups are a safe harbor where you can register any concerns,” she said.
‘Ellen Show’ toxic work environment claims
Weeks ago, former Ellen Show employees revealed that there’s a toxic work environment on the set of the program. They also accused the producers of harassment and racism.
Warner Bros. immediately conducted an investigation and learned that there’s some truth to the employees’ complaints. Since then, three executive producers from Ellen Show have already been fired.
Verbal abuse, racism rampant at TMZ newsroom
Just recently, several people also came forward with allegations of verbal abuse and racism in the TMZ newsroom. One current employee claimed that the co-founder of TMZ, Steve Harvey, and Warner Bros. have not addressed their concerns. The staffers, reportedly, feel that they are not being taken seriously.
The unnamed employee came forward after learning that a former TMZ and Too Fab employee was fired from the job.
Bernadette Zilio revealed in her lawsuit that working at TMZ is like working at a frat house. However, a spokesperson for the publication has since denied the allegations. They also accused the former employee of wanting to receive a monetary settlement.
But the current employee said that it’s not surprising that TMZ isn’t addressing the issues.
“TMZ has a history of doing this — sweeping things under the rug and thinking that the news will move on to something else,” the employee said.
TMZ continues to produce content, while Ellen Show will premiere on Sept. 21.
Images used courtesy of Smalljim / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) and photo by Alan Light / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)