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Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ’s ‘Toxic’ Claim Shouldn’t Surprise You

Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:10 PM
Bernadette Giacomazzo
Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:10 PM
  • Ellen DeGeneres’ former DJ has spoken out against his boss.
  • Tony Okungbowa was the original DJ for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” until 2013 when he was replaced by DJ tWitch.
  • Unfortunately, his revelations are not surprising at this point.

Ellen DeGeneres’ former DJ has broken his silence.

In an open letter posted to Instagram, Tony Okungbowa — who simply went by his first name when he was a part of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” — shared what it was like to work with the embattled talk show host.

And, unfortunately, his claims are not surprising.

Ellen DeGeneres Treats Her Employees Like Trash

Tony Okungbowa was employed on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” from 2003 until 2006, then came back in 2007 and stayed until 2013. At the time of his departure, he was replaced by DJ tWitch.

Ellen DeGeneres
Tony Okungbowa, who was the original “Ellen Show” DJ, said that he “felt the toxicity” from Ellen DeGeneres and her staff. | Source: Instagram 

And while his open letter, which was posted to his Instagram page, was “short and sweet,” it certainly drove the point home.

I would like to address the time I spent there. I was on air talent from 2003-2006 and from 2007 -2013. While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward.

It doesn’t exactly sound like Okungbowa has any love for his former boss, now, does it?

Different Set Of Rules For A-Listers

Though more than one person has come forward, at this point, to confirm that Ellen DeGeneres is a toxic, nasty bully, her few defenders seem to have one thing in common:

They’re all A-listers.

Video: Tony Okungbowa In Happier Days On “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”

It makes sense that Portia de Rossi would defend her wife, so the only thing “shocking” about it is the timing. But Katy Perry and Kevin Hart — the latter of whom recently came out in support of DeGeneres — are two of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.

Perry and Hart’s “defense” of Ellen DeGeneres is proof that she knows if she acts like a fame-hungry, power-crazed, narcissistic bully to A-listers, she will find herself on the wrong end of the Hollywood blacklist.

In her mind, she can act the way she really is around people who don’t have what she perceives as “power” in Hollywood — because, in her mind, what can Brad Garrett or Tony Okungbowa do to her?

Unfortunately for Ellen DeGeneres, times are changing — and power-tripping, egotistical narcissists with delusions of grandeur are facing a reckoning. And not a moment too soon.


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.