Ellen DeGeneres has faced backlash after an old tweet about ‘making an employee cry like a baby’ on her show has resurfaced.
The talk show host has recently faced controversy, after former employees claimed to have experienced ‘intimidation and racism’ while working on her show.
Amid the claims, a tweet of Ellen’s from 2009 has resurfaced, with the presenter coming under fire again.
The tweet, posted on June 5, 2009, reads: ‘I made one of my employees cry like a baby on today’s show. Honestly, it felt good.’
Viewers have since been responding to the tweet, with one writing: ‘This aged well,’ and another adding: ‘… I honestly thought that this was a parody account tweeting this… but ellen….what the actual f**k.’
Metro.co.uk understands the tweet was in reference to Jeannie Klisiewicz, an on-air correspondent who often surprises fans in their homes for segments.
The tweet is thought to reference the moment Ellen gave Jeannie a cruise back in 2009, after she had worked on the show for a year.
The backlash against Ellen began when Buzzfeed News reported that former employees had told them that they had experienced intimidation and racism while working on the show.
After the recent allegations came to light, presenter Ellen penned an apology, where she said she takes ‘full responsibility’ for the working environment, as her name is the brand.
She claimed she had no idea what had gone on behind-the-scenes and is now working with WarnerMedia to get rid of the ‘toxic’ environment.
More recently, it was reported that three producers on the show have been axed.
The Hollywood Reporter stated executive producers Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman have left the daytime show. They have denied any wrongdoing.
The publication reported Ellen, 62, confirmed the staff overhaul in a Zoom chat, announcing there was an internal investigation underway.
Discussing the claims she’s ‘not nice’, she reportedly told staff: ‘I’m a multi-layered person, and I try to be the best person I can be and try to learn from my mistakes.
‘I care about each and every one of you. I am grateful for each and every one of you. I feel like I’ve kind of let the ball drop a bit because I’m focused on the show, I go in and I do the show, and I’ve just let everybody to do their jobs – to run different departments.’
Ellen has been supported by stars including Katy Perry, Ashton Kutcher, and Kevin Hart, with her wife Portia de Rossi also standing by her.
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Ellen DeGeneres and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
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