Ellen DeGeneres‘ alleged toxic workplace environment extended to her home, according to insiders who spoke to The Daily Mail.
The insider, who says they worked at one of her and wife Portia de Rossi‘s California homes for months said that DeGeneres’ “be kind” mantra was a front.
“My belief is that someone’s real personality comes out at home,” the unnamed ex-staffer says. “So after everything that has been said about her at work, you can imagine how terrible Ellen is going to be at home when her guard is down.”
The former employee claims DeGeneres gave workers a list of complaints from the previous day, such as coffee not being frothed well, food being served in the wrong bowl, a salt shaker left in the wrong place. She also didn’t like staffers using guest bathrooms. The insider says: “She treated you like you were nothing,” adding that DeGeneres would “yell” and had an “incredibly condescending tone. She was going to torture you and you were just going to sit there and listen to it because you were being paid.”
The person adds: “I was told that she had a very high turnover and that I should stay under the radar as much as possible, avoid as much direct contact with Ellen as possible. Working there was described as being more like a boot camp,” adding, “Ellen was the worst person that I’ve ever met in my life.”
And: “I was always stressed out and on the verge of tears. I remember going home sometimes thinking I just hated my life. You stick it out because quitting looks bad on your resume but everyone in Hollywood knows what’s going on there.”
WarnerMedia has already fired three top producers after investigating allegations of abuse and racism on-set. DeGeneres has apologized.