"Ellen DeGeneres Show" Producer Andy Lassner Addressed “Toxic Work Environment” Allegations
Ellen DeGeneres Show producer Andy Lassner broke his silence regarding allegations from former and current employees about the show’s toxic work environment.
Andy said he’s back following the show’s internal investigation.
It’s been a minute since things over at The Ellen DeGeneres Show boiled over and former and current employees came forward with horrifying allegations of inappropriate behavior on-set of the “toxic work environment.” After taking a monthlong social media break, show producer Andy Lassner released a video statement on his Instagram letting everyone know that “it’s been rough,” but he’s back.
Looking directly at the camera in a selfie-style video, Andy took on a joking tone, which was definitely a choice with all things considered. He said:
“Oh, look who it is. If it isn’t Andy Lassner. Well, yes it is. Your eyes do not deceive you. I’m back. I’ve been away for a little bit, dealing with—you know, some stuff. You may have read about it. It’s been a couple of rough months. But it’s when we go through these things, I guess, when we learn the most about ourselves, and maybe even some growth. But to tell you it hasn’t been rough would be a lie, and I’ve always been honest with you. It’s been rough. But I’m back. I have been walking. I will now be walking for you guys again. Because, I mean, let’s face it: What is life like when you’re not slow walking with Andy? I love you guys; I miss you and I’ll talk to you soon.”
A post shared by Andylassner (@andylassner) on Aug 30, 2020 at 7:30pm PDT
Ah, yes, some “stuff.” Apparently, allegations of bullying, sexual misconduct, sexism, racism, and homophobia can all be reduced to “stuff.” But on the bright (???) side, there will be “maybe even some growth.” Maybe! How lucky for the employees who were brave enough to voice their concerns!
The last time Andy posted on Instagram was July 24, days before news broke that the show is undergoing an internal investigation. Prior to his IG video, he and fellow producers Ed Glavin and Mary Connelly released a statement to E! News and said:
“We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It’s not who we are and not who we strive to be and not the mission Ellen has set for us. For the record, the day-to-day responsibility of ‘The Ellen Show’ is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better.”
Hopefully, things do actually change.
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