Former Ellen Producer Claims ‘Toxic Host’ Was Aware of Staff Abuse: ‘She Is Who She Is’

Leia IdlibyAug 3rd, 2020, 1:19 pm
 

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Former Ellen DeGeneres Show producer Hedda Muskat spoke out against Ellen DeGeneres in an interview with The Wrap published Monday — claiming she had never been around such a “toxic host.”

Muskat’s claims come after DeGeneres issued an apology to her staff following allegations of racism and other toxic and discriminatory actions at the hands of producers of her show.

DeGeneres took responsibility following an internal investigation, which found “deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management,” but only because her name is on the show. The host explained in her apology that was unaware of the culture and claimed producers misrepresented her while speaking on her behalf.

“I had never seen this before,” Muskat, who also worked on The Howie Mandel Show, revealed to The Wrap. “I had never been around a toxic host.” She also claimed DeGeneres’ apology would not make a difference– noting, “she is who she is.”

Muskat also said producer Ed Glavin contributed to the toxic work culture and detailed an incident where he allegedly screamed at a staff member so intensely during a meeting that his face turned red.

Muskat claimed that the rest of the crew was “stunned” while DeGeneres was “the only one giggling.”  DeGeneres allegedly “crossed her legs up on the chair” and said, “Well, I guess every production needs their dog.”

“And from then we knew,” Muskat added. “Ed was going to be the barking dog — her dog. You could just see everybody’s faces go stiff. We’re professionals; we’re adults. We don’t need a dog to get us to do our jobs.”

Muskat was let go from the daytime show in 2004, days before winning an Emmy, and alleged that she was given less responsibility after working there for a year.

“They call me in and Ed says, ‘Congratulations on the nomination. We really appreciate what you’ve done, but we no longer need your services,’” she recalled. Glavin was supposedly “taking the show in a different direction.”

Muskat’s allegations come after actors Brad Garrett and Lea Thompson claimed the host knew of the toxicity surrounding her show and that it was “common knowledge.”

“Sorry but it comes from the top,” Garrett wrote in a tweet. “Know more than one who were treated horribly by her.⁩ Common knowledge.”

Thompson later backed Garrett’s claims in a reply to a tweet from People Magazine, which quoted the Everybody Loves Raymond star, adding “True story. It is.”

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