“I have been very lucky to be on that show many times and I can tell you that it is a very well run machine,” Nacho Figueras wrote of The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras is speaking out in support of Ellen DeGeneres as controversy surrounds the comedian’s daytime talk show.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the 43-year-old polo champion praised DeGeneres, 62, as a “great human being” while calling out other celebrities for not publicly showing support for the star amid reports about an allegedly toxic work environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“I have been patiently waiting for someone with more authority than me to speak up about what a great human being @theellenshow is,” Prince Harry’s close friend began, sharing a photo of himself happily posing with DeGeneres.
“I have been very lucky to be on that show many times and I can tell you that it is a very well run machine, everyone was super nice, not just to me but to each other and anyone involved. I have seen Ellen act not just in her show but in public appearances in theaters where she is nice to absolutely everyone, the guy serving the coffee, the person in the elevator, the security guy and the owner of the venue.”
“Everyone loves her because that is who she is. She makes the world a better place for millions of people everyday and we cannot hit her because something may have not been perfect. No one is perfect, and we cannot control everything.”
Ellen DeGeneres and Nacho Figueras NACHO FIGUERAS/INSTAGRAM
The athlete went on to “challenge” DeGeneres’ famous friends to voice their public support for the talk show host, writing, “The world has become a very dangerous place because it seems that we cannot make anything right. If I am going to be criticized for defending someone that I think deserves to be defended then so be it.”
“We are all so scared to say what we really think and it seems that we are only relevant if we say whatever the trending social media topic is,” he wrote, tagging a handful of celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake. “So… We love Ellen right?”
Figueras joins a number of stars who have shared their support for DeGeneres in recent days. Last week, manager Scooter Braun defended the Emmy winner on Twitter and called her a “kind, thoughtful, courageous human being,” while DeGeneres’ wife and actress Portia de Rossi shared a graphic on Monday that read: “I Stand with Ellen.”
Ellen DeGeneres MICHAEL ROZMAN/WARNER BROS.
On Thursday, DeGeneres penned a lengthy memo to her employees in which she addressed the alleged workplace toxicity.
“My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that,” she wrote. “Alongside Warner Bros, we immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues. As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”
She promised to do her “part” in pushing herself and others “to learn and grow.”
“We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others, and I’m glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention,” she said. “I promise to do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow. It’s important to me and to Warner Bros. that everyone who has something to say can speak up and feels safe doing so.”
Former employees of the show have also anonymously alleged sexual misconduct and harassment involving top producers at the show, including Ed Glavin and head writer Kevin Leman, according to a separate report published Thursday by BuzzFeed News.
Leman and another producer have denied the allegations against them in separate statements. Glavin has not yet publicly addressed the allegations.
A spokesperson for WarnerMedia declined to comment on the report.
Photo: CHARLEY GALLAY/GETTY IMAGES