Stephen 'tWitch' Boss defends culture at 'Ellen DeGeneres Show' amid investigation: 'There’s been love'
The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s DJ tWitch will not be badmouthing his boss.
Stephen "tWitch" Boss is speaking out about the show being investigated amid workplace toxicity claims, making it clear his experience has been more positive than others.
“We can’t speak too much legally about it, but I’ll say this, there’s been love,” Boss, also a dancer, told Us Weekly. “Obviously there’s some things to address, but from my standpoint and from countless others, there’s been love. I’ll just leave it at that until there’s a time where we can address more publicly. There’s been love and there’ll will continue to be love.”
Boss, who is also featured on Ellen Show spin-off Ellen’s Game of Games, reiterated the “love” vibe from the gig he’s had since 2014 in another interview.
"You know, there hasn't been too many gigs where you feel it every day and build a genuine love from front to back,” he told E! News. “And the audience, being so happy to be there and ready to dance and ready to laugh and have a good time.”
As a result, he feels "blessed... on a daily basis."
DeGeneres’s popular show is being investigated, since last month, amid claims of it being a toxic work environment with a culture of intimidation, racism and sexual harassment. BuzzFeed News spoke to dozens of former and current show employees who detailed alleged incidents. A lot of it centers around the environment created by executive producers, but DeGeneres’s “be kind” image has been called into question.
One of Boss’s predecessors DJ Tony Okungbowa, who appeared on the show on and off for almost a decade, said that while he remains “grateful for the opportunity” being on the show afforded him, he did “experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace.”
Everybody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett, a guest on the show, has said that he knows “more than one” person who was “treated horribly” by DeGeneres, calling it, “Common knowledge.” That led to Back the Future star Lea Thompson to chime in, “True story.”
DeGeneres took responsibility amid the allegations and subsequent investigation, saying in a memo to staffers, “My name is on the show.”
She has had others come forward to back her, including her brother, Kevin Hart, Katy Perry, Diane Keaton and Jay Leno. Her wife, Portia de Rossi, has publicly supported her as well.
Howard Stern quipped on his show this week that DeGeneres should return to the air, when Season 18 kicks off, and “be a son of a b****. People would come on and [I would] go, ‘F*** you.’ Just be a pr**k.” Some very Howard advice.
DeGeneres’s chat show is slated to return to airwaves Sept. 9. She will also begin shooting Ellen’s Game of Games on Aug. 24.
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