Ellen DeGeneres's reputation has been on a downward spiral since allegations of a toxic work environment on her syndicated talk show surfaced in 2020, but the host is ending The Ellen DeGeneres Show after 17 years with a bit of generosity by gifting “millions of dollars” to help take care of staffers after production wraps.
Ellen is set to sign off from The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 26, after nearly two decades as the queen of daytime, and she reportedly worked with Warner Bros. to make sure much of her staff had a proper send-off.
According to Deadline, Ellen is offering staff members who have been with the show 1-5 years an extra two weeks of pay. Staffers working a little longer, 5-8 years, will receive three weeks of pay. Those who have been with Ellen for more than 8-years will receive even more bonus pay, but reports suggest the bonus pay tops off at six weeks.
A “significant portion” of the show's staffers are veterans, and around 30 percent of employees have worked on the syndicated talk show for over a decade.
“It was not even a question for Ellen to cover bonuses," an insider told The Post. "That was very important to her.”
Ellen has been giving out perks to her employees across the course of her final season, a source revealed to the outlet in September. The host “gave gifts to everyone including trips, watches, cars,” but has also remained "incredibly generous" to employees since the show first premiered in 2003.
Additionally, the staffers have received letters from Warner Bros. that confirmed the production company plans to extend healthcare coverage for an additional six months after things wrap up. They’ll also provide résumé-building and networking workshops to the show’s employees.
Meanwhile, Ellen is pulling out all the stops by recruiting a crop of A-list pals to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show one more time. Some upcoming guests include former first lady Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, Zac Efron, Adam Levine, and Kim Kardashian.
Ellen’s decision to end the show followed a sharp decline in ratings following her backstage drama. The host tried to address the allegations but seemed to do more harm than good. For her part, Ellen says she is leaving because the show no longer challenges her as a creative person.