Ryan Phillippe mocks Ellen DeGeneres' 'be kind' mantra after tumultuous year for the talk show host
- Ryan Phillippe poked fun at Ellen DeGeneres' famous "be kind" catchphrase while on a jog this past weekend.
- The "Cruel Intentions" star shared a picture to Instagram of himself standing in front of a poster for DeGeneres' show.
- "And remember to be kind... wait," Phillippe captioned the image.
- His post comes amid numerous accusations DeGeneres and producers on her show have faced in recent months.
- DeGeneres has since spoken out about the accusations and apologized.
Ryan Phillippe mocked Ellen DeGeneres' famous "be kind" mantra during his jog over the weekend.
The "Cruel Intentions" actor shared a picture of himself posing in front of a poster of DeGeneres to his Instagram story on Saturday. "And remember to be kind... wait," Phillippe captioned the image.
The last time Phillippe made an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" was in 2011, per Us Weekly. But Phillippe's ex-wife Reese Witherspoon is a friend of DeGeneres, and last appeared on the daytime talk show in March.
Phillippe was seemingly referencing the numerous accusations of rude and unkind behavior DeGeneres has faced this past year. Her eponymous daytime talk show has also come under fire for reportedly fostering a "toxic" work environment.
In April, news broke that DeGeneres' crew was "furious" about a lack of communication over their pay during the coronavirus shutdown.
Variety cited two anonymous sources as saying that the long-running talk show's core stage crew — which consists of more than 30 employees — had not received any communication about the status of their working hours or pay, and that producers had not checked in about their mental and physical health.
And in July, the show's parent company WarnerMedia launched an internal investigation into the show's "toxic" workplace culture. Variety reported an "employee relations group and a third party firm" would conduct the investigation, interviewing current and former employees about their time on set.
That same month, numerous ex-employees on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" said that sexual harassment and misconduct ran rampant while they worked there, according to a BuzzFeed News report.
DeGeneres subsequently addressed "issues" at her show with a letter to staff in late July.
In the letter, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, DeGeneres took responsibility for the overall issues on her set. She did not directly address any allegations of her personal actions but said she was "disappointed to learn" that people working for her did not feel happy or respected on set.
The host doubled down on her comments during the season premiere of "The Ellen Show" in September.
"I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously," DeGeneres said in her opening monologue. "I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected."
"I know that I'm in a position of privilege and power. And I realized that with that comes responsibility," she continued. "And I take responsibility for what happens at my show. This is 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show.'"
Phillippe isn't the only star who's spoken out about the accusations against DeGeneres and her show.
"Everybody Loves Raymond" star Brad Garrett said in July that DeGeneres mistreating people is "common knowledge."
"Sorry but it comes from the top @TheEllenShow. Know more than one who were treated horribly by her. Common knowledge," Garrett tweeted on July 30.
And "Back to the Future" star Lea Thompson agreed, responding to a tweet from People magazine about Garrett's comments.
"True story. It is," she tweeted.
- Read more:
- Why 2020 has been the year of backlash against Ellen DeGeneres
- Ellen DeGeneres opened her new season addressing allegations of misconduct on her show: 'I want to say I am so sorry'
- 3 producers have left 'The Ellen Show' amid an internal investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace
- Celebrities are speaking out about their firsthand experiences with Ellen DeGeneres