Ellen DeGeneres, a star of daytime American talk show culture, on Wednesday, said she was calling it quits after 19 seasons anchoring a TV staple that had become tainted by toxic workplace allegations.
The 63-year-old host, writer, producer, actress, and comedian won dozens of Emmy awards for the show and has been a pioneer of the LGBTQ community in the United States since she came out as gay in 1997.
Her trailblazing revelation — made by DeGeneres’s character in a sitcom named after her — shocked America and nearly derailed her career.
On Wednesday she insisted her decision to bring the curtain down on her afternoon show had nothing to do with allegations in the past year of a workplace environment rife with bullying, racial discrimination, and sexual harassment.
Former and current staffers alleged that “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” has been a torrid place to work. It has also been hit by slumping ratings.
“When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged. And as great as this show is, and as fun, as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter trade publication.
When the complaints from people working on the show came out last summer, DeGeneres acknowledged there were problems, apologized, and pledged to do better.
DeGeneres herself was not accused of wrongdoing but three senior producers were fired.
