Staff members recently spoke out anonymously to Buzzfeed about their alleged experiences of intimidation and racism working on the show; in response, WarnerMedia has launched an internal investigation.

Variety reported that executives from production company Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros Television sent a memo to employees, telling them WBTV-owner WarnerMedia's employee relations group has hired a third-party firm to interview current and former staff about their experiences working on the show.

No specific claims were made against DeGeneres, although some staff claimed they were told not to speak to her if she was in the office.

On July 30, DeGeneres broke her silence, Yahoo! noted. In a staff letter The Hollywood Reporter obtained, the 30-time Emmy winner said she takes "responsibility" as the program bears her name and said changes are forthcoming. In part, she stated, "Hey everybody—it's Ellen. 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. 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."