Pressing forward. Portia de Rossi gave an update on her wife Ellen DeGeneres’ state of mind after the talk show host came under fire over claims of a toxic workplace.
“[She’s] doing great,” the Arrested Development alum, 47, told a photographer on Sunday, August 9, after walking her dogs in Santa Barbara, California, in a video obtained by Page Six.
When asked whether DeGeneres, 62, plans to continue hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show, de Rossi responded, “Yes, she is.”
The Emmy winner faced major backlash in July after BuzzFeed News published two reports detailing allegations of racism, fear, intimidation and sexual misconduct behind-the-scenes of her show. Warner Bros. subsequently launched an internal investigation and shared its plans to interview current and former employees about the claims.
DeGeneres addressed the reports in a letter to her staff, which Us Weekly obtained on July 30.
“On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect,” she wrote in part. “Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.”
Four days later, de Rossi publicly supported her wife of nearly 12 years by sharing an “I Stand by Ellen” graphic via Instagram with the caption, “To all our fans….we see you. Thank you for your support.”
Amid the scandal, Us exclusively reported that producers held a call with staffers on August 3 to assure them that “the show will go on.”
Stars including Brad Garrett and Tony Okungbowa, who deejayed Ellen before Stephen “tWitch” Boss, have spoken out against DeGeneres in recent weeks. However, she has found support in Kevin Hart, Ashton Kutcher and other celebrity friends.
“They know that Ellen can be tough but accept that about her and know that it takes a lot of work to run a tight ship like her show,” a source exclusively told Us of the Finding Dory star’s A-list pals. “They get it.”
