Kevin Hart spotted with Ellen DeGeneres after defending her from toxic workplace allegations
Kevin Hart was seen out and about with Ellen DeGeneres amidst the recent controversy surrounding her show.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show received testimonies from employees claiming the show fostered a toxic workplace environment. Upon hearing this news, Hart made a post showing his support for the daytime talk show host.
While Warner Brothers continued their investigation into the multiple allegations of discriminatory workplace culture, the pair of comedians met for lunch at Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California, People Magazine reported.
READ MORE: Ellen DeGeneres responds to allegations of toxic work environment
The two were photographed leaving the restaurant in different tropical print button-down shirts.
Despite the investigation not being directed at DeGeneres, Hart and several other celebrities took to social media to support their friend.
“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. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1,” wrote Hart.
The initial investigation was launched into the show following a Buzzfeed report, in which current and former show employees revealed their negative experiences working for the critically acclaimed talk show.
“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.
“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 concluded.
Once the investigation began, DeGeneres also made a statement saying she was unaware of any issues on set, but is willing to accept responsibility and work toward finding solutions.
READ MORE: Kevin Hart defends Ellen DeGeneres against workplace accusations
“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,” wrote the award-winning host.
Kevin Hart’s support of Ellen DeGeneres comes a year after she supported the almost-Oscar-host when he was under public scrutiny for old homophobic tweets. This incident led to Hart not hosting the 2019 Academy Awards.
Warner Brothers has since issued an update on their investigation into The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The film studio stated, they’ve “identified several staffing changes, along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised, and are taking the first steps to implement them.”
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