Ellen DeGeneres’ reputation for ‘meanness’ was openly discussed I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Australia in early 2019 – almost two years before her daytime talk show was rocked by allegations of bullying and harassment behind the scenes.
The Bold and the Beautiful actress Katherine Kelly Lang and gossip reporter Richard Reid shared the rumours they had heard about DeGeneres during a frank discussion about ‘molls’ in Hollywood. (‘Moll’ is an Australian slang term for b**ch.)
Lang and Reid insisted that the 62-year-old American comedian, whose philosophy is ‘be kind to each other’, was a ‘completely different’ person off camera.
Open secret: Ellen DeGeneres’ reputation for ‘meanness’ was openly discussed I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Australia in early 2019 – almost two years before her daytime talk show was rocked by allegations of bullying and harassment behind the scenes
The conversation began when former Gogglebox star Angie Kent asked Lang, 59, ‘who was a moll’ in showbusiness.
Reid whispered: ‘Ellen. Not nice.’
Lang agreed, saying: ‘She’s great to watch and on her show and everything, but I think her personality is completely different when you get her behind the scenes.’
‘I’ve heard it’s hard to work on her show,’ Reid replied.
Claims: The Bold and the Beautiful actress Katherine Kelly Lang (left) and gossip reporter Richard Reid (right) shared the rumours they had heard about DeGeneres during a frank discussion about ‘molls’ – or b**ches – in Hollywood
Rumour has it! ‘She’s great to watch and on her show and everything, but I think her personality is completely different when you get her behind the scenes,’ Lang said
‘Oh, because she’s very bossy or something?’ Lang asked, and Richard nodded.
Kent was clearly disappointed by the pair’s claims, muttering mournfully: ‘Wow. That’s really disappointing.’
Reid then said to Lang: ‘I’m glad to hear that somebody else has heard that.’
At the time, DeGeneres had been the subject of vague rumours she was ‘mean’ to staffers, but had always denied them.
Allegations: ‘I’ve heard it’s hard to work on her show,’ Reid said
Curious: The conversation began when former Gogglebox star Angie Kent (pictured) asked Lang ‘who was a moll’ in showbusiness. Moll is an Australian slang term for a b**ch
In a candid interview with the New York Times in 2018, she branded the allegations an ‘outright lie’.
She said: ‘The first day I said, “The one thing I want is everyone here to be happy and proud of where they work, and if not, don’t work here”.
‘No one is going to raise their voice or not be grateful. That’s the rule to this day.’
‘Outright lies’: At the time, DeGeneres had been the subject of swirling rumours she was ‘mean’ to staffers, but had always denied them. Pictured with her wife, Portia de Rossi
It comes as The Ellen DeGeneres Show faces an internal investigation following numerous allegations there is a ‘toxic’ and ‘bullying’ workplace culture.
An internal memo sent last week explained that current and former staff will be interviewed about claims of ‘mistreatment, racism and intimidation’ behind the scenes.
DeGeneres hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing herself.
Several previous employees have claimed that DeGeneres was unfriendly on set and that crew members were warned not to talk to the host or make eye contact.
Bombshell: It comes as The Ellen DeGeneres Show faces an internal investigation following numerous allegations there is a ‘toxic’ and ‘bullying’ workplace culture
Meanwhile, DeGeneres is now allegedly telling senior figures at Telepictures and Warner Bros. that she has had enough and wants to pull the plug on the show.
Last Thursday, she attempted to do some internal damage control by issuing an apology email to current staffers, in which she appeared to deflect all blame and noted that she was ‘disappointed’ to learn the show was not ‘a place of happiness’.
The email was immediately met with backlash, with many expressing disappointment over Ellen shifting the blame to her executive producers.
Under scrutiny: Several previous employees have claimed that DeGeneres was unfriendly on set and that crew members were warned not to talk to the host or make eye contact