Kelly Clarkson drew some criticism from her fans on Friday for ignoring concerns over a new report that claimed she had allowed her talk show set to become a “toxic” place to work.
The original Rolling Stone report blamed several of Clarkson’s producers, and observers were quick to draw comparisons between her and Ellen DeGeneres, whose popular talk show was beset with similar claims.
Finally, as backlash mounted on social media, Clarkson, 41, addressed the issue with a lengthy message on her Instagram page on Friday night.
She promised that she and the rest of the “senior staff” would undergo “leadership training” to “ensure that any notion of toxicity is eradicated.”
“In my 20 years in entertainment, I’ve always led with my heart and what I thought was right,” the singer explained.
Posting in it: Kelly Clarkson drew criticism from her fans on Friday after announcing an upcoming single, ignoring a Rolling Stone report claiming the Kelly Clarkson Show is a “toxic” place to work; seen in Hollywood in March
Explanation: She promised that she and the rest of the “senior staff” would undergo “leadership training” to “ensure that any notion of toxicity is eradicated.”
“I love my team on The Kelly Clarkson Show and to find out that anyone on this show feels unheard or disrespected is unacceptable,” she continued.
“I have always been, and will continue to be, committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment at The Kelly Clarkson Show,” she said.
“As we prepare to relocate to the East Coast, it’s more important than ever to ensure that not only our relocating team, but also our new NY team is made up of the best and friendliest in the business,” he added added Clarkson.
“Part of that build will include leadership training for all senior staff, including myself,” the “Since U Been Gone” hitmaker revealed.
“There is always room to grow and to ensure that we are all/become the best version of ourselves in any organization, especially when it comes to leadership to ensure any notion of toxicity is eradicated.”
The singer-songwriter sparked criticism when she announced the release of a new song titled “Favourite Kind Of High,” which will be included on her upcoming album Chemistry.
Several people spoke out in the comments, urging them to remain silent on the allegations about the situation behind the scenes of their daytime series.
“Uhhhh. Are you going to address what’s happening with your show?’ wrote one angry fan. “The toxic environment with the producers? The possible WGA violations when producers write their episodes? This is frankly extremely worrying.”
Voiceless: The singer-songwriter started the firestorm when she announced the release of a new song, ‘Favourite Kind Of High,’ which will be included on her forthcoming album ‘Chemistry’
“Very disappointing to hear about the toxic environment at TKCS,” wrote another user.
“You obviously don’t treat your workers well. They are overworked, underpaid and have mental health issues. “RESIGN,” wrote one particularly angry person. “Thankfully your writers are currently on strike against @nbc and hopefully won’t get you off the hook for too long after that. That’s what you deserve if you don’t train your staff properly.”
“Before you become the next Ellen, please address the toxic work environment on your talk show,” added another fan.
“Please help get rid of the toxic environment behind the scenes,” pleaded another user. “People will be watching how you react to this situation now that you know what’s going on. Please address it before your show becomes another Ellen.”
Despite her fans’ concerns, multiple sources speaking to Rolling Stone believed Clarkson may not have been aware of how her employees were being treated.
In the report, employees shared their experiences of “bullying, verbal abuse and retaliation from senior producers and a lack of help from human resources when these issues were reported.”
While Clarkson was called “amazing” rather than a bully, executive producer Alex Duda was described as “a monster.”
The employees, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of “retaliation,” also said they didn’t believe the mother-of-two “had any sense of how unhappy employees are with working conditions.”
When asked about the allegations, an NBCU spokesman told that they are “committed to providing a safe and respectful work environment and take workplace grievances very seriously. To suggest otherwise is untrue.”
Outraged: Several fans used the comments to slam her for seemingly ignoring complaints from 11 current and former employees about terrible working conditions
Get out of the loop? Despite her fans’ concerns, several sources speaking to Rolling Stone believed Clarkson may not have been aware of how her employees were being treated; seen in Hollywood in March
“When issues are reported, they are promptly reviewed, investigated and acted upon as necessary,” the representative said in a statement. “The Kelly Clarkson Show strives to create a safe, respectful and equal workplace that fosters a culture of inclusivity and creativity.”
The three-time Grammy winner’s talk show became an instant hit when it debuted in 2019, two years before Ellen DeGeneres was also accused of a toxic work environment on her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
A former employee explained, “NBC protects the show because she’s their new moneymaker, but Kelly has no idea how unhappy her employees are.”
Another recalled, “I remember going up on the stage roof and crying and thinking, ‘Oh my god, what am I doing?’ Why am I doing this?’
Many former employees labeled Duda toxic and insisted she prevents the host from hearing complaints of unfair treatment.
“I have a friend who is an executive producer and warned me against taking the job because she seems to have done it on every show she’s worked on,” a former collaborator claimed.
While all eleven employees said they believed Clarkson was groping in the dark about much of her crew’s suffering, they pointed out that their wages were too low to afford basic necessities without a side job.
Many employees say they take babysitting orders, drive for Uber Eats, and walk dogs to pay for their expenses.
“Kelly is fantastic. “She is a person who treats no one with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative,” said a former staffer.
They continued, “I’d be shocked if she knew.” I’d be devastated if she knew the staff isn’t being paid for the two-week Christmas break. “The Kelly that I’ve interacted with and that everyone knows would probably be quite horrified to find out.”
Another detailed Duda’s alleged hot temper, which they said was “deteriorating” their mental health and causing them such anxiety that they “throw up regularly.”
Another former employee said he took a leave of absence to protect his mental health after feeling “bullied and intimidated by the producers.”
Oh no: The three-time Grammy winner’s talk show was an instant hit when it debuted in 2019, two years before Ellen DeGeneres was also accused of having a toxic work environment on her show The Ellen DeGeneres Show (broadcast in 2015).
Disheartening: While Clarksons was called “amazing” rather than a bully, executive producer Alex Duda was described as “a monster.”
Hard to hear: While all 11 staffers said they felt Clarkson was groping in the dark about much of her crew’s suffering, they pointed out that their wages were too low to afford basic necessities without a side job
Toxic: Another former employee revealed that he took a leave of absence to protect his mental health after feeling “bullied and intimidated by the producers”.
They claimed the producers “did everything they could to scare the staff, ask questions, and get the job done.”
To manage the stress, the former employee sought help from a psychiatrist for the first time in his life because he “really couldn’t handle it mentally.”
Though they’ve worked on numerous other sets in the entertainment industry for years, they said the Kelly Clarkson Show was “by far the worst experience” they had “ever” in their “entire life.”
“It put me off ever wanting to work a day again,” they say. “If I say I was traumatized, I was really traumatized.”
Rolling Stone also noted that “seven former employees said they used their exit interviews with NBCUniversal to describe their negative experiences.”
One employee said he even had a follow-up interview with HR after his exit interview about his experience with two producers who ended up getting promoted anyway.
“Honestly, I don’t know what HR is doing at this show,” said the third-to-last employee. “Nothing significant happened.”
A fourth former employee said they quit after having several “unpleasant” experiences with Duda allegedly asking “why don’t black people want to come on the show?”.
The former employee said Duda went on to ask her, “Why don’t black people want to see Kelly?”
Another employee says his production manager “verbally abused” her and others, and that she and her colleagues felt the need to “walk around the production manager on eggshells.”
The employee went on to explain that they once saw him “throw a stapler across their office.”
“He spoke in a way that you shouldn’t do in a professional setting — he cursed, raised his voice and threw a violent tantrum,” the staffer said. “Other people who know him would laugh at that and say, ‘Oh, he’s in a bad mood,’ but that’s not a laughing matter. ‘Why is he getting a misbehavior pass?’
Despite reporting the behavior, the employee said nothing had been done.
“They knew my situation, they knew my story, but I didn’t have the support from them that I really needed,” they fired. “What is the point of HR? They lie to you too. They make it seem like they’re there for you, and then when it comes down to it, they’re not there.”
Another claimed they “were scolded by Duda for asking how executive producers on the show should tackle the proliferation of anti-Asian hate crimes.”
Wild: Though he’s worked on numerous other sets in the entertainment industry for years, one staffer said the Kelly Clarkson Show is “by far the worst experience I’ve ever had in my life.”
Target of bullying allegations: Alex Duda, seen above, has been accused of ‘swearing at’ staff (pictured last year)
“I thought I did the right thing. “Someone brought this to me and I felt it was important,” they said. “I can’t believe I brought up something that wasn’t easy to discuss to begin with, got attacked for it, and then when I told them they made me uncomfortable because I was raising an important issue, they took hold me again.’ and I felt even worse.’
A current collaborator pointed out the irony that Clarkson ends each episode by saying, “Make it a great day, and if it’s not great, change it.”
“It’s hard to exist and work in a machine that spreads these happy, bubbly, positive messages.” [when] “There are people here who are just treated badly,” they explained.
At the end of the day, a former staffer at the publication said that “people shouldn’t be treated like that,” especially when “you’re working on a TV show that wins Emmys and brings in millions in advertising dollars.”