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Ellen DeGeneres Offers Apology As She and Her Talk Show Remain Under Fire

Photo: JPI

On Thursday, Ellen DeGeneres served up an apology to former and current staff and crew members of her ever-popular daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

After many complaints were brought to light by former employees of the show about the culture of the work-place behind the scenes, WarnerMedia is now handling its own internal investigation of the show.  It all began when BuzzFeed’s widely-circulated piece had former employees’ anonymous accusations of racism, intimidation, unjust termination and an overall toxic work culture, perpetuated by the show’s top producers.

In a memo, DeGeneres expressed that now that the issues were brought to her attention, they are taking steps to ensure to correct them moving forward.   While neither she nor Warner Brothers will comment on the fate of specific employees, two sources had revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that executive producer Ed Glavin — one of the show’s three EPs, and the one at the center of many of the more unsavory claims is among those who will be let go

Ellen let everyone associated with the show that she would have delivered this message on-camera on her show, if not for COVID-19, where everyone on the staff and the crew would have been present.   What she wrote is below:

DeGeneres shared:  “Hey everybody – it’s Ellen. On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.

I could not have the success I’ve had without all of your contributions. My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that. Alongside Warner Bros, we immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues. 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. Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”

I’m also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop. As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or — worse — disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me.

It’s been way too long, but we’re finally having conversations about fairness and justice. We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others, and I’m glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention. I promise to do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow. It’s important to me and to Warner Bros. that everyone who has something to say can speak up and feels safe doing so.

I am so proud of the work we do and the fun and joy we all help put out in the world. I want everyone at home to love our show and I want everyone who makes it to love working on it. Again, I’m so sorry to anyone who didn’t have that experience. If not for COVID, I’d have done this in person, and I can’t wait to be back on our stage and see you all thenStay safe and healthy.  Love,  Ellen”

Meanwhile, Everybody Loves Raymond alum Brad Garrett , who has been a guest on Ellen, claimed on Twitter that DeGeneres bears responsibility for the workplace culture.  He tweeted late Thursday night. “Sorry but it comes from the top ⁦@TheEllenShow. Know more than one who were treated horribly by her.⁩ Common knowledge.”

So, how do view’s Ellen’s message? Do you think the show is about to go under some serious house-cleaning? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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I stopped watching her show years ago. Ellen can be sadistic and cruel in her tv “pranks.” No Thanks!

Ellen Talk Show : 2003-present. mindful of her other endeavor . ED Brand Name business affair. sponsorship(s). she even has her own record label ( eleveneleven ).

Ellen : “You stopped dancing” big indicator that you slowed down. sure age is what it is. you are leaving that up to your “DJ”. what has really dropped you. That oh so tired primetime game show !!!! ?????? huh?

COME ON !!!! you’ve hosted the Oscar, grammy, emmy show. you were svelte AND in the moment with your ELLEN comedy show. 1994-98

it’s time to hang it up… who know’s just how much you own of your Ellen show.. and it’s a money maker? REALLY ? the laughs aren’t their anymore. not at the epic you did

with your wife… develop your philanthropic / LGBTQ stand. what’s with all the money you will ever have

“Thank You” Ellen

I love Portia too

I stopped watching it a few yrs ago. Its mainly a complete waste of time & interviews with celebrities I don’t like. And she always says her show is a family show. Really? There are a lot of sexual innuendos, scantilly clad photos & even Chippendale dancers on the show. No thanks. No children should be watching this & I wouldn’t watch it with my family.

Nasty, nasty woman, such a phony!

Ellen put a sock in it !!! we just know and have known for years you are literally full of shit

I use to like her but if she is going to act like a stupid jerk I want no part of her.oh ya I never did watch her talk show,I find all stupid talk shows to be dull and boring a waste of time.

Despite my reluctance to criticize a trailblazer for human rights (gay specifically), Ellen is a case study in how not to handle fame. When she first came out to the public (on her primetime show and in real life), she served as a role model for many. And she seemed to carry that mantle quite well for many years.

But something seemed to happen along the way, and she devolved into this mean-spirited phony. I personally have never found her to be genuine, which is a big turnoff for me. To me, her talk show doesn’t work because it all seems so forced. In her interviews, she seems awkward and, again, phony. (Three are many talk-show hosts who simply don’t have proper interview skills.) Her foray into game shows comes across as sadistic, not funny.

And this so-called apology for things she claimed she didn’t know were happening is ludicrous. I don’t know how she rebounds from this fiasco.

I think she could rebound, Jamesj75, but I’m not sure she has figured out how or will be able to do so. Her apology may be sincere (I have no particular insight and can’t really judge), but it comes off to me as a little weak; I won’t go as far as you and call it ludicrous, but it definitely falls short.

I say that she could rebound, though, because she still carries around such a tremendous amount of goodwill in the LGBTQ+ community because she was such an important trailblazer. The key will be figuring out how to start from there and build on that as she tries to make amends for what sounds like an incredibly toxic environment–one that, whatever else the truth may be, happened under her watch. (All of that assumes she’s truly not to blame and isn’t the awful person she’s sometimes portrayed as being–and I have no idea what the truth of that is.)

I agree with you about her game show; she wanted to come across as devilishly humorous, I think, but to me she came across as mean. Nobody was forcing the contestants to take part, it’s true, but given that she’s a multimillionaire and they’re (presumably) just ordinary folk, she came off as taking advantage of that monetary disparity for her own amusement and ultimately sort of sadistic. I laughed through one episode (watched at a friend’s house; I wouldn’t have chosen it) and then about 15 minutes of the next one (at same friend’s house), and then I started feeling really uncomfortable with it and was sorry I had laughed. Not a good way to feel. Given some of the genuinely horrible stuff that’s out there passing as humor, her game show is hardly the worst offender, but it’s unpleasant enough to make me not watch it (but to be fair, there’s a lot on TV I just won’t watch, so . . .).

Hey Michael:

Thank you for your reply and further insights. You certainly make some great points, and I admire your altruistic/forgiving stance much more than the tone I chose here.

In all honesty, very few of us know these celebrities. For a variety of reasons, we like some, we don’t like others, all based on our impressions. I’m all for a redemption story, so I will share in your hope that a rebound will happen. Take care, Friend.

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George Cheeks, CBS President & CEO, on Timeline to Launch New Daytime Drama, ‘The Gates’: “We’re So Focused on Getting it Right”

March 2024 will be remembered in the TV and soap world when the news broke that CBS is prepping a brand new daytime drama. Many had thought a major network would never bring a new daytime soap into the world, given that the last time it was attempted was 25 years ago when the now defunct Passions bowed on NBC.

However, The Gates is definitely in development and moving forward with some major players associated with it including: Michele Val Jean as The Gates writer, showrunner and one of its executive producers, and Sheila Ducksworth from NAACP Venture

Now, for the first time since its announcement, George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS and chief content officer for news and sports at Paramount+, spoke on the project that will feature a Black family as its central focus who live in a wealthy gated community.

Photo: NAACP

Speaking with Vulture, and when asked if The Gates is really something that truly has a chance of getting on the air, Cheeks clarified, “It’s super real. And just to give you a little bit of the backstory,  when we hired Sheila Ducksworth to run the NAACP Venture, she and I had multiple meetings talking about what different genres she was going to lean into, and we talked a lot about daytime.”

Cheeks added, “One of the things that the data made very clear to both of us is that daytime soap operas over index with Black women, and yet when you look at soap operas, it’s usually sort of a white-led family with supporting characters that reflect more of our society. So we just thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to flip that and make the core anchor family a Black family, and then make the other characters reflect more the broader scope of society?”

Photo: JPI

The CEO gave props to Michele Val Jean,  and how Ducksworth came to the table with the former B&B and GH writer. “She found this great writer, Michele Val Jean, who’s been in the soap opera space for 30 years. She came up with a pitch, and we loved it,” shares Cheeks. “We brought Procter & Gamble into it as well, because if there were going to be (product) integrations, we could do it more holistically and organically. All of that is to say, we did a lot of work on the front end to put this together. So while yes, it’s development, it’s accelerated development.”

When prodded on the timeline of when The Gates could come to full fruition, Gates related, “The actual timeline and when we’re going to do it is still uncertain, because we want to get this right. I mean, there hasn’t been a new soap opera launch since I can’t even begin to tell you when. But we have great success with Bold and the Beautiful and Young and the Restless, and so we think we’re the right folks to be launching a new soap. I wish I could tell you more about exact timing, but we’re so focused on getting it right, and that will dictate when we’re ready to launch it.”

The CBS exec also shared that whether The Gates will wind up an hour soap or half-hour is not yet determined, but that it is being developed as an hour show.

So, after reading what George Cheeks, the CBS President & CEO had to say about ‘The Gates’, are you even more excited for what looks to the first new network soap in 25 years? Comment below.

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Robyn Bernard, ‘General Hospital’s’ Terry Brock, Dead at 64

Former General Hospital star, Robyn Bernard, who played aspiring singer Terry Brock has died. She was 64-years-old.

Bernard’s body was found Tuesday in San Jacinto, California. A Riverside County Coroner told TMZ they identified the actress’ body using her fingerprints after deputies responded to a death investigation call on Tuesday March 12th.

Sources told the outlet that Bernard’s body was found in the wee hours of the morning. The cause of death has yet to be determined.

Photo: ABC

Bernard joined General Hospital back in 1984 as Terry Brock, the daughter of the abusive D.L. Brock (played by David Groh). Robyn remained on the ABC soap opera for six years before making her exit in 1990. At one point, Terry’s stepmother would become Bobbie Spencer (the late Jackie Zeman) when the nurse married her father.

Terry was involved in the Laurelton Murders storyline and after first setting her sights on Frisco Jones, wound up with killer Kevin O’Connor. Later, Terry was blamed for several murders and in the end killed Kevin in self-defense. In addition, Terry had a relationship with Dusty Walker played by none other than Shaun Cassidy.  She eventually left Port Charles after landing her own recording contract.

Photo: ABC

The last time GH Fans may have seen Bernard was in 2014, when she appeared at the GH Fan Club Weekend Past Cast event. Robyn is pictured below with the late Susan Brown (ex-Gail) at the fan gathering. She has been out of the limelight for several years.

Photo: JPI

In addition to her role on GH, Bernard was featured throughout her TV career on primetime’s Simon & Simon, Tour of Duty and The Facts of Life.

Share your remembrances and condolences for GH alum Robyn Bernard and her loved ones via the comment section below.

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51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Announce Broadcast Date on CBS

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Tuesday, that the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on Friday night, June 7th (8 – 10 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.

This year will mark the 18th time CBS has broadcast the Daytime Emmy Awards, which is more than any other network.

The 2024 Daytime Emmys will take place at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles. Back in December of 2023, the delayed 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were also held at that venue. The June 7th date for the upcoming ceremony will be the first time in several years that the event is scheduled a few weeks earlier than normal; excluding last year’s revised date to the actors and writers strikes.

Photo: NATAS

Lifetime Achievement honoree, nominations, host, and additional information will be announced in the coming weeks.

In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS noted, “We eagerly anticipate our return in June as we once again partner with CBS to recognize the exceptional and talented individuals who make daytime television great. We’re thrilled to kick off our second half-century of the Daytime Emmys.”

The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of categories, including daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary, and legal/courtroom programs. In 2021, NATAS and the Television Academy jointly announced plans to realign the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards to be organized by content genre, as opposed to program airtime.

Photo: JPI

The 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will once again be produced by NATAS and Associated Television International (ATI), which produced Daytime Emmy Award ceremonies on The CW in 2009 and on CBS in 2010, 2011, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Adam Sharp and Lisa Armstrong are executive producers from NATAS, while David McKenzie is executive producer from ATI.

So, glad to know that the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards honoring performance and shows in the 2023 calendar year, will be held in early June this year, and once again broadcast on CBS? Comment below.

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