Featured Image Credit: Credit: ABC
Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film and TV, Kelly Clarkson
Bec Oakes
Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film and TV, Kelly Clarkson
The Kelly Clarkson Show is under fire after several employees, both past and present, have claimed to be 'traumatized' by its 'toxic workplace.'
The show debuted on NBC in 2019 and gained an instant audience in fans of the pop singer-turned presenter.
Over the past four seasons, Clarkson has been praised by viewers for her relatability and openness when interviewing guests such as Hillary Clinton and Dolly Parton - with her 'Kellyoke' segment also being popular with fans.
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Yet, in an interview with Rolling Stone, employees claimed that they were overworked, underpaid and subject to "bullying, verbal abuse, and retaliation from high-level producers, and no help from human resources when those issues were reported."
The staffers, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, called Clarkson 'fantastic' but referred to the show's executive producer, Alex Duda as a 'monster.'
One former employee said, "This job deteriorated my mental health," and claimed they were yelled at and cursed at by a producer who reports directly to Duda.
Another revealed that they had to start seeing a psychiatrist for the first time in their life while working on the show and took a month-long leave of absence after reportedly being 'bullied and intimidated' by producers.
They said it was, “By far the worst experience I’ve ever had in my entire life. When I say I was traumatized, I was really traumatized.”
Another recalled: "I remember going up on the roof of the stage to cry, being like, 'Oh, my gosh, what am I doing? Why am I putting myself through this?'"
A number of the employees interviewed claimed that they'd reported issues to HR, who offered very little help.
"They didn't do anything," one employee said. “What’s the point of HR? They’re lying to you too. They make it seem like they’re there for you and then when push comes to shove they’re not around.”
'I don't know what HR does at that show, frankly,' another past employee said. 'Nothing of consequence happened.'
Many of the staffers believe Clarkson doesn't '[have] a sense of how unhappy employees are.'
“Kelly is fantastic," one former employee said. "She is a person who never treats anyone with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative. I would be shocked if she knew."
This report comes a year after The Ellen Degeneres Show was cancelled following claims of the show fostering a toxic work environment.
UNILAD has reached out to NBC for comment.