The Kelly Clarkson Show's Former Employees Reportedly 'Traumatized' by 'Toxic' Workplace
The Kelly Clarkson Show has recently come under fire for being a toxic workplace. The show is known for being positive and uplifting, but unfortunately, it does not have the same attitude regarding the behind-the-scenes staffers. The former employees recently came forward and alleged that the NBC talk show left workers feeling “overworked, underpaid” and “traumatized.”
In a recent report by Rolling Stone, multiple current and former employees of the show revealed that they worked in a toxic, emotionally abusive workplace culture that NBC has failed to satisfactorily handle. These workers are veterans in this industry and thoroughly know the ins and outs of functioning in a high-pressure atmosphere like daytime television, and they are disappointed to witness this culture eternalized on a TV show that had an opportunity to make a difference.
A former employee said, “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?'” Another ex-employee recounted that they took a leave of absence to care for their mental health which was suffering because of the toxic environment. They expressed that they were bullied and intimidated by producers who tried their best to make employees feel afraid to ask questions.
According to the employee, this provoked them to leave work for a month and consult a psychiatrist for the first time in their life as they “truly couldn’t handle it mentally.” The former staffer also said that they’ve been employees of various shows in the entertainment industry for years, but The Kelly Clarkson Show “is by far the worst experience I’ve ever had in my entire life.”
Another employee said their production manager was verbally abusive to various employees, which other current and former staffers confirmed. They said that co-workers walked on eggshells near the production manager and that they all have also witnessed him throwing a stapler across their office. “He would speak in a way that you’re not supposed to in a professional environment — cursing, raising his voice and throwing a huge temper tantrum,” the former employee said. “Other people who know him would laugh it off and say, ‘Oh, he’s in a bad mood,’ but it shouldn’t be laughed off. Why does he get a pass for bad behavior?
However, the workers across the panel mentioned that they believed the show’s host, Kelly Clarkson, was unfamiliar with how bleak her workplace is because they suppose she’s been protected from it. “NBC is protecting the show because it’s their new money maker, but Kelly has no clue how unhappy her staff is. Kelly is fantastic. She is a person who never treats anyone with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative,” one former employee recounted. “I would be shocked if she knew. I’d be floored if she knew the staff wasn’t getting paid for two weeks of Christmas hiatus. The Kelly that I interacted with and that everyone knows would probably be pretty aghast to learn that.”
