By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --Three producers of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" have exited amid allegations of a dysfunctional workplace that harbored misbehavior including sexual misconduct and racially insensitive remarks.
Executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman have "parted ways" with the long-running daytime series, a spokesperson for producer Warner Bros. said in a statement Monday.
An internal company investigation of claims about the show was prompted by a BuzzFeed News report in July based on 36 interviews with ex-staffers, who complained about or said they witnessed improper and unfair treatment.
Most of the allegations were tied to executive producers and senior managers, including Glavin, Leman and Norman, BuzzFeed News said. The people making the claims against them were not identified.
A representative for Leman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Representatives for Glavin and Norman couldn't immediately be found.
In statements to BuzzFeed News after the July 30 story was published online, Leman denied "any kind of sexual impropriety" and Norman said he categorically denied the accusations.
DeGeneres informed staff of the shakeup Monday in a video conference call, according to Variety, which first reported the development. She said she found claims about the show's environment to be "heartbreaking," the trade publication said, citing unidentified sources.
The comedian and host had sent a memo to her staff after last month's BuzzFeed article, recalling her early promise of ensuring a workplace where "everyone would be treated with respect." Something changed, she said, "and for that, I am sorry."
The show debuted in 2003.
In a separate July statement, Warner Bros. said parent company WarnerMedia's investigation revealed what it called "some flaws in the show's daily management."
Although not all of the allegations were corroborated, the studio said it was "disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show's day-to-day management."
No details were specified at the time, and Warner Bros. had no further comment Monday beyond confirming the producers' departures.
California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction
California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
California follows New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm. Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children's access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.
The California law will take effect in a state home to some of the largest technology companies in the world. Similar proposals have failed to pass in recent years, but Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law in 2022 barring online platforms from using users' personal information in ways that could harm children. It is part of a growing push in states across the country to try to address the impacts of social media on the well-being of children.
"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."
The law bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school. The legislation also makes platforms set children's accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their... Read More