Kevin Hart has spoken out in defence of Ellen DeGeneres and called for "hate sh*t" to stop after ratings for The Ellen DeGeneres Show plummeted to an all-time low, following accusations that the talk show host perpetrated a toxic workplace.
The actor and comedian took to Twitter to share a picture of himself and DeGeneres. He captioned the post;
"It’s crazy to see my friend go thru what she’s going thru publicly. I have known Ellen for years… She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1. The internet has become a crazy world of negativity….we are falling in love with peoples down fall. It’s honestly sad…When did we get here?
"I stand by the ones that I know and that I love. Looking forward to the future where we get back to loving one another….this hate sh*t has to stop. Hopefully it goes out of style soon…"
Hart's comments come after WarnerMedia launched an internal investigation into the show in response to reports that employees reportedly faced racsim, fear and intimidation, as well as sexual misconduct and harassment from top executives.
Ratings for The Ellen DeGeneres Show have reportedly sunk to a new series low since the reports emerged, per The Wrap, drawing a 1.0 Live + Same Day household rating in the week ending July 26.
The ratings were down 9% from the prior week, and a considerable -29% from the same week last summer. However, it should be noted that ratings for syndicated talk shows are normally lower at this point in the year as they air summer reruns.
Hart is not the only celebrity to have stood up for DeGeneres. Katy Perry also took to social media to assert that she has only had positive experiences with DeGeneres.
“I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow,” she wrote on Twitter.
"I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought to the world through her platform for decades. Sending you love & a hug, friend @TheEllenShow."
Last month, DeGeneres sent an emotional plea to her employees promising changes to the series, which has been in production since 2013.
"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,” she wrote in an email to staff on Thursday (30th July).
"Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others."
She added that she was glad her production team was “finally having conversations about fairness and justice”.
The statement continued that while "not all of the allegations were corroborated", WarnerBros was "disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management".
Ellen is currently confirmed to host the upcoming 18th season of the talk show.
