Ellen Under Fire For Leaving Employees And Their Paychecks Up In The Air

Source: NBC / Getty

After upsetting fans for comparing her multi-million dollar mansion to being in jail, Ellen DeGeneres has once again managed to rub a whole lot of people the wrong way.

Even though the popular daytime talk show host is still producing episodes of the series from the comfort of her own home, reports from Variety revealed this week that Ellen’s employees have been kept in the dark about what their paychecks will look like over the next couple months.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s main stage crew–which is comprised of roughly 30 people–received “no communication” about issues like pay and working hours for over a month, according to an insider. To make matters even worse, the crew was “furious” after learning that the talk show host hired a non-union tech company to help with the daily broadcast from Ellen’s California home.

Two anonymous sources told the publication that “higher-ups in production would occasionally answer phone calls but reveal little” about their status. Members of the crew finally ended up hearing from production executives last week, which is when they were told to expect a 60% pay decrease–even while the show continues airing!

Despite these claims, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Television told Variety that the crew is still getting paid, but they confirmed their hours are reduced, saying, “Our executive producers and Telepictures are committed to taking care of our staff and crew and have made decisions first and foremost with them in mind.”

For the record, the Variety story makes sure to note that other talk shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Desus & Mero, are paying their employees their full rates.