Kevin Hart Defends Ellen DeGeneres amid Show Scandal: 'She Has Treated My Family with Love'
Katy Perry Defends Ellen DeGeneres amid Talk Show Controversy: 'Sending You Love & a Hug'
PLUS: Ellen DeGeneres' Wife Portia De Rossi Speaks Out amid Show Scandal: 'Thank You for Your Support'
Kevin Hart is defending his friend Ellen DeGeneres against "hate" as her daytime talk show is under investigation in the wake of multiple allegations about the show's workplace culture.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Hart, 41, said that DeGeneres, 62, has been nothing but nice to his family and that he loves the comedian "for life."
"It's crazy to see my friend go thru what she's going thru publicly," the actor wrote alongside a photo of himself and DeGeneres smiling widely on her show.
"I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she's one of the dopest people on the f------ planet. She has treated my family and team with love and respect from day 1," he continued.
Hart went on to condemn the backlash DeGeneres has received, writing: "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 I know and that I love. Looking forward to future where we are back to loving one another... this hate s--- has to stop. Hopefully it goes out of style soon...." Hart continued.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Kevin Hart, Ellen DeGeneres
Hart concluded his post by asserting that his message is "not meant to disregard the feelings of others and their experiences" but is "simply to show what my experiences have been with my friend. Love you for life Ellen."
DeGeneres stood by Hart last year when he faced controversy over his past homophobic tweets. Hart had stepped down from host of the 2019 Oscars after declaring he would not apologize for his past comments, which had resurfaced. He later apologized, however. DeGeneres invited the Ride Along star onto her show and revealed that she felt Hart had grown as a person, and as a member of the LGBTQ community, she accepted his apology and wanted to see him lead the awards show. The ceremony went on without a host.
DeGeneres' wife Portia de Rossi also expressed her support for the comedian, posting a graphic that read "I Stand By Ellen." Singer Katy Perry, polo star Nacho Figueras and manager Scooter Braun all defended the Emmy winner as well.
Last week, DeGeneres issued an apology to her employees and addressed the alleged workplace toxicity.
Michael Rozman/Warner Bros. Ellen DeGeneres
"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."
Warner Bros. said in a statement on Thursday that "dozens of current and former employees" had been interviewed, and that they were "disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show's day-to-day management."
Moving forward, Warner Bros. said they have "identified several staffing changes, along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised, and are taking the first steps to implement them."
Rob Latour/Variety/Shutterstock Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi
RELATED: Katy Perry Defends Ellen DeGeneres amid Talk Show Controversy: 'Sending You Love & a Hug'
"Warner Bros. and Ellen DeGeneres are all committed to ensuring a workplace based on respect and inclusion. We are confident this course of action will lead us to the right way forward for the show," the statement concluded.
Former employees of the show have also anonymously alleged sexual misconduct and harassment involving top producers at the show, including Glavin and head writer Kevin Leman, according to a separate report published Thursday by BuzzFeed News.
Leman and another producer have denied the allegations against them in separate statements. Glavin has not yet publicly addressed the allegations.
A spokesperson for WarnerMedia declined to comment on the report.
