Portia de Rossi is standing by wife Ellen DeGeneres as controversy surrounds the comedian’s daytime talk show.
Last week, DeGeneres, 62, issued an apology to the staff members of her show after former employees anonymously described the workplace environment as “toxic” in a BuzzFeed News report. The show is also undergoing an internal investigation by WarnerMedia.
On Monday, de Rossi, 47, expressed her support for DeGeneres on Instagram. (The couple tied the knot in August 2008 in an intimate ceremony, announcing the news of their wedding immediately after California’s Supreme Court struck down a law banning same-sex marriage.)
“To all our fans….we see you. Thank you for your support,” de Rossi captioned her post, adding the hashtags #stopbotattacks, #IStandWithEllenDeGeneres, #IStandByEllen, #IstandByEllenDeGeneres and #bekindtooneanother, the phrase with which DeGeneres closes out her show each day.
It was not immediately clear what de Rossi meant by her reference to “bot attacks.” A rep for DeGeneres has not commented.
On Thursday, DeGeneres penned a lengthy memo to her employees in which she addressed the alleged workplace toxicity.
“My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that,” she wrote. “Alongside Warner Bros, we immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues. As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”
She promised to do her “part” in pushing herself and others “to learn and grow.”
“We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others, and I’m glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention,” she said. “I promise to do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow. It’s important to me and to Warner Bros. that everyone who has something to say can speak up and feels safe doing so.”