Something strange is happening to the reporting on the crisis imperiling Ellen DeGeneres’s long-running talk show. Reading about it now, you might get the impression that the crisis is solely about the collapse of DeGeneres’s image as the nicest, kindest star next to Tom Hanks. She closes every show telling us to, “Be kind to one another,” a motto she has monetized with her “Be Kind by ellen” merchandizing brand that sells seasonal boxes “filled with Ellen’s favorite, hand-picked products,” claiming that “each box spreads kindness and champions brands that do the same!”

In contrast to this image, an onslaught of accounts by employees and guests are attesting to the fact that she isn’t so kind behind the scenes.

This is good gossip, even if unsurprising in an industry reliant on contrived star images that are often at odds with reality. What’s lost is the initial cause of the scandal. It was a labor dispute that set the ball rolling, in particular the revelation of DeGeneres shafting her longtime crew during the COVID-19 crisis. According to a Variety story that broke on April 16.