Ellen DeGeneres has had a reputation for being a relatable, kind, and generous person. At least, that’s how she portrays herself on her talk show. But, that facade has crumbled during the coronavirus pandemic. The crew of her talk show are claiming they are being stiffed as Ellen continues cashing checks. 

The money grab, of course, is not Ellen’s first misstep recently. Just the other week, Ellen was lambasted for comparing being quarantined in her mansion to being in prison.

As millions of Americans have lost their jobs and don’t know how they will pay for food or their rent or mortgage on a family home, Ellen is living large in a multi-million dollar Beverly Hills mansion. Rightfully, the award winning host was hit with accusations of entitlement and being out of touch. 

BACKSTORY: Ellen DeGeneres Hit With Backlash After Comparing Isolation In Beverly Hills Mansion To Prison

Ellen Makes $75 Million Per Year 

Now, Ellen’s crew is furious at her and are making serious accusations about poor communication and massive pay reductions as she earns a $75 million a year salary. 

From Variety

The core stage crew for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” consisting of more than 30 employees, received no written communication about the status of their working hours, pay, or inquiries about their mental and physical health from producers for over a month, said two sources, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity. Higher-ups in production would occasionally answer phone calls but reveal little, added one of the sources. The crew was further incensed by the show’s recent hire of an outside, non-union tech company to help DeGeneres tape remotely from her home in California.

When production executives finally did weigh in, nearly all crew members were told last week to brace for a 60% reduction in pay, even as the show continues to air, according to sources close to the matter.

In addition to this, outside production workers were brought in to work on the show that Ellen is filming from her home.

This was somehow happening at the same time her regular staff was facing reductions in pay and hours. 

The Real Ellen

While Ellen has a daily message on her show to be kind, her employees aren’t feeling the love. They claim that communication was poor and there was little concern mentioned about their own health or well being.

And they’re certainly not the only ones describing a darker side of the seemingly fun daytime host.

Last month, comedian Kevin T. Porter posted a Twitter thread chock full of  first, second, and thirdhand stories about Ellen’s DeGeneres’ various harsh behavior.

The claims posted by Porter range from Ellen refusing to make eye contact with interns all the way to her getting a waitress fired for having a chipped nail.

While these stories have not been confirmed, a former head writer for the show, Karen Kilgariff did tell Marc Maron that she was fired from “Ellen” after she refused to cross the picket line during the big writers’ strike of 2008.

RELATED: Ricky Gervais Slams Celebs Seeking Attention During Coronavirus Quarantine

Comments by YouTuber and makeup guru NikkieTutorial who appeared on “Ellen” in January add credibility to the growing list of claims.

Nikkie was thrilled to be on the show but says that she was really let down by the whole experience. She now reports that it was not the fun place it appears to be on television.

Ellen reportedly didn’t even say hello to Nikkie outside of the segment. Instead, as a guest of the show, she was greeted by angry staff.

“I was expecting a Disney show, but got Teletubbies after dark,” Nikkie stated. 

Obama Awarded Her The Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Ellen is typically held up as a model by people on the left. Barack Obama even awarded her a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Remember this?

The award is supposed to be bestowed upon someone who has made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” 

Over time, one’s true colors are often revealed. The public has certainly been seeing a different side of Ellen since she was awarded the Medal of Freedom.

And that is increasingly the case since the start of this pandemic. Perhaps this out-of-touch, entitled Ellen has been the true Ellen all along.

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