Alec Baldwin Tells Ellen DeGeneres to ‘Keep Going’ amid Talk Show Drama: ‘Don’t You Stop’
Alec Baldwin is supporting Ellen DeGeneres amid allegations of a toxic workplace environment on her eponymous daytime talk show.
The actor, 62, appeared virtually on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday, telling the longtime host, also 62, to “keep going” despite “some patches of white water.”
“Before we talk about my kids, Ellen, I just want to say you are someone, I have followed your career from when you were doing stand-up and you were a solo performer,” Baldwin said. “I have watched the films you’ve done, and I’ve watched your success on this TV show, and you are one of the funniest and most talented women, one of the most funny and talented people, in all of show business.”
“We all have some patches of white water here,” added the 30 Rock star, “but you keep going. Don’t you stop doing what you’re doing.”
Thanking Baldwin for his kind words, DeGeneres told the fellow comedian, “That means so much to me, I appreciate it.”
“There have been some rapids and I am maneuvering the raft,” the host said. “But thank you so much for saying that.”
In July, The Ellen DeGeneres Show first came under fire after BuzzFeed News published a report in which current and former employees spoke anonymously about on-set grievances, including accusations of racial discrimination and fear of retribution for complaints. An internal investigation conducted by WarnerMedia was concluded in August when DeGeneres apologized to her employees via video conference and confirmed three of her top producers were leaving.
On Monday, DeGeneres returned to her daytime talk show for its season 18 premiere and addressed the controversy head-on during her six-minute opening monologue.
“I learned that things happened here that never should have happened,” she told her virtual audience. “I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected.”
The Emmy Award-winning host also acknowledged that she’s in a “position of privilege and power” and hopes to start “a new chapter” with the show’s 270 employees, whom she had been connecting with through Zoom prior to the premiere.
DeGeneres, known for her “be kind to one another” motto, also spoke about her own shortcomings.
“The truth is, I am that person you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things,” she said. “Sometimes I get sad. I get mad. I get anxious. I get frustrated. I get impatient — and I am working on all of that.”
Since the scandal first broke, many of DeGeneres’ famous friends have expressed their public support for the host, including Steve Harvey, Kevin Hart, Ashton Kutcher, Diane Keaton, and Katy Perry.
A source recently told PEOPLE that DeGeneres “will have to prove herself” as she hopes to move past the controversy and focus on the show.
“People want to give her a chance because this show means a lot to everyone working on it, but it’s going to be a long road,” the source said.
