Kevin Hart has come to the defense of Ellen DeGeneres amid criticism that she fosters a toxic workplace environment on her daytime talk show.
The Jumanji took to social media to fire back at accusations that DeGeneres mistreats and abuses her staff, Entertainment Weekly reports. Comedian Kevin Porter and TV writer Ben Simeon are among those to publicly speak out in recent weeks about her alleged rude and diva-like antics as host of The Ellen Show.
“It’s crazy to see my friend go thru what she’s going thru publicly. I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she’s one of the dopest people on the f—ing planet,” Hart wrote in a lengthy Instagram message. “She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1.”
Read More: Ellen DeGeneres responds to allegations of toxic work environment
WarnerMedia is conducting an internal investigation into claims of an “abusive” work environment on the nationally syndicated program, including allegations of sexual misconduct against top producers.
The investigation was launched following a bombshell Buzzfeed report, in which current and former employees dish about the bullying behavior behind the scenes of the Emmy-winning talk show.
DeGeneres is not the focus of WarnerMedia’s ongoing investigation, but staffers reportedly want her to be held accountable since it’s her show.
She issued a statement last week claiming she was completely unaware of the problems on set, but she accepts overall responsibility.
“As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done,” she said. “Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”
DeGeneres said she’s “glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention” and that she and her team are “taking steps … to correct them.”
Hart, meanwhile, made time to call out the negativity that permeates social media in his statement about the controversy.
“The internet has become a crazy world of negativity….we are falling in love with people’s downfall. It’s honestly sad…When did we get here? I stand by the ones that I know and that I love,” he wrote on IG.
“Looking forward to the future where we get back to loving one another….this hate s— has to stop. Hopefully, it goes out of style soon….This post is not meant to disregard the feelings of others and their experiences….It’s simply to show what my experiences have been with my friend. Love you for life Ellen,” Hart added.
Meanwhile, Ellen DeGeneres will return to host season 18 of her talk show, despite speculation that she is stepping back when the show returns in the fall.
A production insider has confirmed that “no one is stepping in or taking over.”
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